Dear family and friends,

Before my illness, I occasionally took acetaminophen or naproxen for aches and pains.  You might ask: why this profound confession?  Let me explain.  For centuries, there has been a tension between the use of medical knowledge and application of faith in divine healing.  I would even venture to say that every Christian believer has had to deal with this question somewhere along his/her walk.  So many of you dear people have shared your commitment to pray for my healing or at least, my comfort and endurance.  So many of you dear people have also personally visited the medical community for relief (i.e. surgery for appendicitis or pills for pneumonia or chemotherapy for lymphoma).  So, does taking advantage of medical research and treatment compromise faith, or does it simply acknowledge and apply an aspect of God’s grace?

As some of you may know, God saved me from dentistry by bringing Nancy’s dad, Kirven Nichols, into my life. He was my model for and mentor in being a Christian physician.  So, I committed my education and career to the medical model.  The challenge has always been to learn, to relearn, and to incorporate new medically proven discovery. So, what is God’s role?  I think that there is some guidance when Paul refers to his companion, Luke (writer of Luke and Acts in the New Testament). Paul refers to him as “Luke the beloved physician” in Colossians 4:14. Note that it is not Luke the “former physician.”  In the context of Paul’s multiple injuries and illnesses, can’t you just imagine Luke saying something like this: “Paul, I have found this treatment to be helpful for your condition.” Or, “Paul, some of my trusted colleagues have found this treatment to be of value; I suggest that we try it.”  So, would Paul have taken an acetaminophen or ibuprofen from his physician? I think yes; but he would do it with thankfulness for God’s grace in providing relief through it.

Nancy and I are doing well.  I will get the first of three spinal injections of methotrexate (a preventive) on Friday and get the second infusion on Tuesday, 2/13/18.  If you are bored, there are some photos in “Dave’s series” in PostHope.  Thanks for being part of my life.  Thanks for letting me part of yours.

If you would like, send a photo of you and/or your family.

Dave/Daddy/Granddaddy/Doc Dave