His Providential Care

I worked in the sunlight, off and on, for decades. 

I earned a whopping $1.00 an hour back in the early 60’s, as a part-time nursery worker. After school each day, and on Saturday’s, I would trudge a couple hundred yards to Mr. Picken’s Caladium field, and proceeded to … pull weeds. And over the course of the 1-2 years I worked there, that’s about all I ever did. Not only did I get my fair share of muck on my skin, (which momentarily left me looking like a member of a different race,) but I received plenty of exposure to the sun. Later, I worked other outdoor jobs, including a twenty year stint as a UPS driver; the latter 8 or 10 years of my tenure wearing those “new-fangled” sexy, brown shorts.

At least in terms of the redeemed, I’m convinced that Providence has a way of, as scripture implies, working everything for our good, and the implication is that nothing occurs in our lives which is “independent of itself.” 

The following story illustrates my point well. 

I had set a tall rail ladder up against an old wooden basketball pole; in order to trim some oak branches on the edge of my front yard. Well, my friends, as I soon learned, a “squarish” ladder doesn’t fare well against the curvature of a round post. As I reached the four or five foot mark, the contraption began to wobble, and shift to the right. I had little choice, but to quickly navigate an escape plan of some sort. And since the concrete of my driveway, (and pain) awaited me, I decided that rather than landing on my head, or back or rib cage, I determined to provide fate the least amount of square physical footage upon which to exert its gravitational force.

As a result, I allowed my right foot to take the blow, and with my velocity spent, I dropped down on my hands and knees. I immediately realized that my body was a bit less perfect than it had been only seconds before. 

I had broken my ankle.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I submitted to surgery, and a half-calf cast.

(You recall what I mentioned about ALL things working for good)? 

As I was hobbling around the house on crutches one day, my wife noticed a previously circular mole on the back of my right calf, just above the top of the cast, had darkened, and taken on the shape of, (this is weird) 

… a valentine.

(But if it was a valentine, my dear readers, it was a valentine from hell).

Thus, I scheduled an appointment with my dermatologist, and after performing a biopsy, the test came back positive for a melanoma.

Did I mention that the cast was florescent yellow-green in color? 

(Well, it was). 

Jean and I mused afterwards that due to the contrast between the florescence of the cast and the darkness of the mole, she had easily spotted the thing, and called it to my attention.

Only God.

Not long after the cast was removed the melanoma was cut away, and since the surgeon insisted on excising what he referred to as “clear margins,” I lost approximately a quarter of the tissue on my right calf.

And while I can tell you, it “ain’t” pretty, at this writing I’m alive to tell about it, and have been given the inestimable opportunity and privilege of living, and continuing to care, and encourage and impact my generation.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God; to them who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 21. Copyright pending

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