“Would you rather lose a calf or pay the bill to have a live one on the ground?”
The veterinarian responded that way four decades ago when growl was expressed for his charge to pull a calf.
While the cost seemed high at the onset, the good doctor was sure right in his comment. A dead calf isn’t worth anything, making his fee very low investment for possible return.
It’s a similar grudging feeling when the human doctor bills arrive in the mailbox seemingly every month or more often.
Yes, they are high, but as compared to what? Nobody wants to be sick, so a doctor’s services are sought and health is generally restored or at least improved.
The doctor has bills to pay like everybody else. Doctoring is his profession and there is lots of overhead to it as with what anybody does for a living.
Another monthly bill comes in from the health insurance company; actually it’s every two weeks out of the paycheck. An additional big grunt when that payment is made. Yet when even a poor mathematician analyzes all of the medical bills, thank goodness there’s insurance to help out.
Now what did the forefathers do when health issues arose as they have since the beginning of time?
What about grandpa or for sure great grandpa when his knees, hips, or shoulders gave out?
What about those poor relatives back a century or more ago when arthritis and rheumatism struck?
There were doctors who treated ailments, and they got paid. Admittedly sometimes just a few cents, a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs that’s all their patients had.
But the real issue wasn’t the cost, rather the inability to cure the serious ailments.
Unsure exactly when certain surgical practices came about or when specific healing recuperating medicines were developed.
Yet there definitely weren’t all of today’s ultra-modern extensively equipped hospitals and highly educated experienced surgeons back then.
People with painful incapacitating ailments were in constant suffering hurting, often unable to do anything worthwhile.
Knowing unbearable agony of worn out knees and excruciating arthritis pain in the past two years.
Now feeling just fine makes costs of modern health care insignificant. Without one’s heath there’s nothing.
Reminded of Jeremiah 30:17: “I will give you back your health again and heal your wounds.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
XIII–52–12-22-19