June 10, 2026

I’ve never met my primary care doctor. I know his name, but I couldn’t begin to tell you what he looks like. I had to go to his office one time to get a physical so I could get a referral, and I was assigned a PA or someone like that, which was fine with me. I don’t like going to doctors. Sure, I don’t like the inconvenience, but I suspect it’s deeper than that. I would rather not be given another reminder of my mortality.

And yet, ignoring, delaying, dismissing are not really great responses to issues in life, much less to one’s health. I guess there are times when you can ignore something and it will go away, but for the most part, that doesn’t work.

Recently I was sitting in a waiting room when I received word that a dear, longtime pastor friend had collapsed the evening before, was in the ICU on a vent and in a coma. We had become pastors around the same time, and while we do not live in the same state, I consider him to be a very trusted ally and confidant. That day I realized that I may not see him again until glory. It hit pretty hard. And the fact that I was in a waiting room feeling very inconvenienced brought me up short. Who was I kidding? Life comes at you really fast. Like steam that rises from my morning coffee and disappears into the room, our lives are here and gone.

My friend made very good progress and is now home from the hospital, praise God. I don’t know if he’s ignored annual physicals, bloodwork and all of those helpful inconveniences, like I have. But I’m trying to reverse decades of a very entrenched mindset and embrace the realities that “the whole creation” that groans (Romans 8.22) includes my body. It may not be fun to lean into that, but it certainly is wise.

At least I’m trying to tell myself that.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 20:9-18