It appears that Mr. Obama's push for health care is in a shambles, who knows now what will emerge. Let me say at the beginning that I agree with Jim Wallis, in the world's wealthiest nation; a land prodigal in expenditure and supportive of multi millionaire entertainemnt stars, it is immoral that there are people in this nation without adequate health care benefits. I suspect that is where our agreement ends.
Let me share what I think has brought us to this current impasse, one which may result in no bill passage at all.
1. One is the cost or perceived cost. The numbers being bandied about will make us a welfare nation among the nations. I have not been convinced that somehow this proposal will pay for itself.
2. There is a concept that some folks are completely without health care. And yet as I go into hospitals I constantly read that no one can be denied treatment. If there is abuse of that system by the hospitals or by potential patients, let's fix the abuse.
3. If a person is in this country "Illegally" neither they nor their children are entitled to health care beyond the mandated hospital care that is already available for everyone.
4. Finally, when it is "Washington as usual," and a president who was elected to bring change and openness falls back on political trickery and bribes; I become automatically opposed to what he or she is proposing. I affirm that we need to fix Washington before we try to fix health care or social security or even the banks.
Well those are my complaints. What about a solution? I don't pretend to be Solomon, but how about something like this? Tie universal or government funded health care to the salary of the person or family; much like food stamps. Determine an amount of income below which the person will be covered with health care and above which they will be increasingly responsible for picking up the cost themselves. For the rest of us, including medicare seniors, add a progressive value tax so that we begin to suport our brothers and sisters as well as add to our own coverage.
Secondly, lets have tort reform.
Third, while we don't need "czars" of any kind; let's develop an oversight committe, with authority, made up of Insurance providers, Congressional leaders; Doctors, Clergy and others who will keep the system lean and clean.
I'm sure much more is needed, and I laud our president for taking the lead; I regret the process has become so convoluted and frightening. If health care is to be an entitlement, let's do it the right way.
Complete Again
About four weeks ago my mother in law, mom Horton, fell on some ice while attempting to go to church. There didn't seem to be anything broken, but she has been in constant pain ever since. X-Rays have been inconclusive, but the pain has continued to be severe. For awhile she was completely bedfast. At 93 years of age, this is not a good thing.
Finally my lady, her daughter, determined that she needed to be with her mom. And she did. For the past three weeks she has been nurse, caregiver and friend. During that time I have learned how to use the phone for long distance calls, been extremely lonely and gotten a lot of work done for the church. When people ask how I have managed "baching" it, I tell them the bed is awfully big.
The folks at the church have been great, Josh has been home and the other "kids" have called to check on how things were going. I have survived quite well.
But today, a few hours ago, my life became complete again. Alice came home and we did the little things that make marriage so special. We made the bed, paid bills, ate together and just held each other. I was complete again.
The Scripture says, "a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh." Alice and I achieved that a long time ago and for over 50 years we have been perfecting the art of marriage; during mom Horton's hurt I have learned just how incomplete I am without my Alice.
When her mother needs Alice, I will gladly send her with my blessing - I love her enough to let her do what her heart tells her she needs to do. It is that love that I have for her and she for me that fills the void of emptiness when she is away.
I wonder if that might not be a little of how God feels when we go off to our distant countries.
Finally my lady, her daughter, determined that she needed to be with her mom. And she did. For the past three weeks she has been nurse, caregiver and friend. During that time I have learned how to use the phone for long distance calls, been extremely lonely and gotten a lot of work done for the church. When people ask how I have managed "baching" it, I tell them the bed is awfully big.
The folks at the church have been great, Josh has been home and the other "kids" have called to check on how things were going. I have survived quite well.
But today, a few hours ago, my life became complete again. Alice came home and we did the little things that make marriage so special. We made the bed, paid bills, ate together and just held each other. I was complete again.
The Scripture says, "a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh." Alice and I achieved that a long time ago and for over 50 years we have been perfecting the art of marriage; during mom Horton's hurt I have learned just how incomplete I am without my Alice.
When her mother needs Alice, I will gladly send her with my blessing - I love her enough to let her do what her heart tells her she needs to do. It is that love that I have for her and she for me that fills the void of emptiness when she is away.
I wonder if that might not be a little of how God feels when we go off to our distant countries.
Life in the face of death
Somewhere it says in the Bible that if we seek the Lord with all our hearts we shall surely find him. The phrase "all our hearts" catches my attention. As I read or think of that passage, it sounds as though we need to make seeking God our priority. That is the number one thing we do. Everyting in our life is aimed to that priority. And for me that's true, at least it is now; it has taken me a long time to get to that point. There were a lot of other priorities to be tried first.
When I was young, my priority happened to be the girl I was courting at the time. She occupied my time, my thoughts and my money - she was my priority.
Then I met my life partner, Alice, and she has become my priority most of the time. I say most of the time because there have been other events that for a time consumed my thoughts, time and money. Finding my life vocation, preparing for retirement, educating my children, rejoicing in my grandchildren all and more have taken the top spot for a time in my life.
"Seek God with all your heart!" yes, that is my priority but God's graciousness permits me to have other priorities as well.
When my mother died, I was 14, and I heard my Dad crying inthe night; I was consumed by my loss, my lack of future and my anger at God.
Then when Dad was killed at work I began the process again - I could not make peace with myself or with my Dad (I was really angry at him - he shouldn't have been at work) but there was no peace until I made peace with God. That priority had to affect all my others.
I was forcibly reminded of that when at age 3 or 4 our youngest son, Josh, fell off a sliding board and suffered a concussion. Life and death hung in the balalnce. My cry was "No God, not him" and that night people from churches I have served came together and cried with me. God gave him back.
Now I watch in pain as my daughter in law struggles with her father's illness. Her faith seems so strong, but so did mine, and I want to reach out to her - yet I do not want to tread where I am not invited. Her Dad is her priority and I can only pray that in her seeking of God she will know that special peace God gives.
Then there is my mother in law, Mom Horton struggles. She fell on some ice and has been in pain and almost bedfast for three weeks. The family has rallied and again churches are praying. I am again reminded of my priority. I need to minister to my wife, she is my priority and somehow I need to affirm my love for Mom Horton, she too is my priority. I didn't get a chance to say those words to my mom and dad; it is a priority for me to say them to Mom Horton, "I love you." From the conversations we've had, I'm sure our Susan has told her mom and dad how special they are in her life; how much she loves them and that's good.
So I struggle with my priorities; I finally live comfortably with God as my number one priority; but given the circumstances of life there are other priorities that need to be cared for also. One of the great things about having God as my prority is that he carries the burdens of the others with me.
Jesus said "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these shall be added as well."
Peace
When I was young, my priority happened to be the girl I was courting at the time. She occupied my time, my thoughts and my money - she was my priority.
Then I met my life partner, Alice, and she has become my priority most of the time. I say most of the time because there have been other events that for a time consumed my thoughts, time and money. Finding my life vocation, preparing for retirement, educating my children, rejoicing in my grandchildren all and more have taken the top spot for a time in my life.
"Seek God with all your heart!" yes, that is my priority but God's graciousness permits me to have other priorities as well.
When my mother died, I was 14, and I heard my Dad crying inthe night; I was consumed by my loss, my lack of future and my anger at God.
Then when Dad was killed at work I began the process again - I could not make peace with myself or with my Dad (I was really angry at him - he shouldn't have been at work) but there was no peace until I made peace with God. That priority had to affect all my others.
I was forcibly reminded of that when at age 3 or 4 our youngest son, Josh, fell off a sliding board and suffered a concussion. Life and death hung in the balalnce. My cry was "No God, not him" and that night people from churches I have served came together and cried with me. God gave him back.
Now I watch in pain as my daughter in law struggles with her father's illness. Her faith seems so strong, but so did mine, and I want to reach out to her - yet I do not want to tread where I am not invited. Her Dad is her priority and I can only pray that in her seeking of God she will know that special peace God gives.
Then there is my mother in law, Mom Horton struggles. She fell on some ice and has been in pain and almost bedfast for three weeks. The family has rallied and again churches are praying. I am again reminded of my priority. I need to minister to my wife, she is my priority and somehow I need to affirm my love for Mom Horton, she too is my priority. I didn't get a chance to say those words to my mom and dad; it is a priority for me to say them to Mom Horton, "I love you." From the conversations we've had, I'm sure our Susan has told her mom and dad how special they are in her life; how much she loves them and that's good.
So I struggle with my priorities; I finally live comfortably with God as my number one priority; but given the circumstances of life there are other priorities that need to be cared for also. One of the great things about having God as my prority is that he carries the burdens of the others with me.
Jesus said "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these shall be added as well."
Peace
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)