A Man enters the hospital for surgery. A mass has been found in his leg. Thinking it to be cancer his doctor refers him to a surgeon to excise the curious lump. As the surgeon cuts into the leg for a look around he finds the mass and removes it. Over time the lab work comes back. It wasn't a cancerous growth, but an atrophied calf muscle. It seems that for years the man has failed to exercise, he hasn't built up the muscle. His calf had become so week that it was barely able to support his weight and had diminished in it's usefulness. The surgeon had his instructions. He was under orders, "remove the mass!" He used all his skill to surgically rid the body of the withering flesh. The family and the physicians all agreed; had the man only taken responsibility to invest in a new pair of running shoes or a gym membership, his leg would have been saved. Instead this vital muscle is gone forever.
Will the man ever walk again? Of course, but a vital muscle has been removed, there will forever be a limp and he will need the aid of crutches to get to where he is going.
9 comments:
Thanks Dave. A person takes for granted what resource he has till he(or she)has lost it. We fail to maintain it or nurture and strengthen it. The family in you parable was on board with the actions.
My question to you would be; why would it be too late to exercise and strengthen our camps to hold on to the leg that has served us well, so the rest of the body can use it's experience and wisdom to add even greater benefits to the camping experience?
That's the right question Sherwin
LOVE THIS!!!
Excellent!
I would have said a year ago that I was part of this family as Director of BMC, now I am sure that I am not, nor have been for a while now.
-Erik
From my experience with elderly people, individuals in such a situation are much more inclined to just sit until they die.
We have to fight for what we know is good and true. We know that camps are a vital part of our church and we must work together to make sure this mission in our own state is not swept away. We raise money for all kinds of missions all over the world and many of them are not self supporting, Why is our camps not looked upon as a vital mission. It was a HUGE part of my life growing up and is now for my own children. I think we need to continue to make our voices heard and help others understand how cutting off this resource for our youth is detrimental to the entire United Methodist Church. Your comparison makes a great point and we must act now and stand up to what we believe is needed for our youth!
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