Back surgery take 3

Proverbs 11:3 (ESV)

The integrity of the upright guides them,

    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

6 years after my last back surgery I find myself having back surgery again. This will be my third Back surgery and I pray my last to repair my lower back. Because I have an abnormally narrow spinal cord my surgeon has to shore up the Lumbar area to take away the pinching of the nerves.

As I prepare for surgery I have done a lot of reading and came across the story that took place in an operating room that deals with integrity and doing the right thing.

In the operating room of a large hospital, a young nurse was completing her first full day of responsibilities. "You've only removed 11 sponges, doctor," she said to the surgeon. "We used 12." "I removed them all," the doctor declared. "We'll close the incision now." "No," the nurse objected. "We used 12 sponges." "I'll take full responsibility," the surgeon said grimly.   "Suture!" "You can't do that!" blazed the nurse. "Think of the patient." The surgeon smiled, lifted his foot, and showed the nurse the 12th sponge. "You'll do," he said.

Do you have the integrity do what’s right when pressured?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would have the integrity to make the right decision. Help us to stand against what we know is wrong. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Integrity

Proverbs 11:3 (ESV)

The integrity of the upright guides them,

    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

An aging king woke up one day to the realization that should he drop dead, there would be no male in the royal family to take his place. He was the last male in the royal family in a culture where only a male could succeed to the throne - and he was aging. He decided that if he could not give birth to a male, he would adopt a son who then could take his place but he insisted that such an adopted son must be extraordinary in every sense of the word. So he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys, no matter what their background. Ten boys made it to the very top.

There was little to separate these boys in terms of intelligence and physical attributes and capabilities. The king said to them, 'I have one last test and whoever comes top will become my adopted son and heir to my throne.'

Then he said, 'This kingdom depends solely on agriculture. So the king must know how to cultivate plants. So here is a seed of corn for each of you. Take it home and plant and nurture it for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, we shall see who has done the best job of cultivating the seed. That person will be my heir-apparent.' The boys took their seeds and hurried home. They each got a flower pot and planted the seed as soon as they got home. There was much excitement in the kingdom as the people waited with bated breath to see who was destined to be their next king.

In one home, the boy and his parents were almost heartbroken when after days of intense care, the seed failed to sprout. He did not know what had gone wrong with his. He had selected the soil carefully, he had applied the right quantity and type of fertilizer, he had been very dutiful in watering it at the right intervals, he had even prayed over it day and night and yet his seed had turned out to be unproductive.

Some of his friends advised him to go and buy a seed from the market and plant that. 'After all,' they said, 'how can anyone tell one seed of corn from another?' But his parents who had always taught him the value of integrity reminded him that if the king wanted them to plant any corn, he would have asked them to go for their own seed. 'If you take anything different from what the king gave you that would be dishonesty.'

'Maybe we are not destined for the throne. If so, let it be, but don't be found to have deceived the king,' they told him. The d-day came and the boys returned to the palace each of them proudly exhibiting a very fine corn seedling. It was obvious that the other nine boys had had great success with their seeds. The king began making his way down the line of eager boys and asked each of them, 'Is this what came out of the seed I gave you?'

And each boy responded, 'Yes, your majesty.' And the king would nod and move down the line.

The king finally got to the last boy in the line-up. The boy was shaking with fear. He knew that the king was going to have him thrown into prison for wasting his seed. 'What did you do with the seed I gave you?' the king asked. 'I planted it and cared for it diligently, your majesty, but alas it failed to sprout.' the boy said tearfully as the crowd booed him.

But the king raised his hands and signaled for silence. Then he said, 'My people behold your next king.' The people were confused. 'Why that one?' many asked. 'How can he be the right choice?' The king took his place on his throne with the boy by his side and said, 'I gave these boys boiled seeds. This test was not for cultivating corn. It was the test of character; a test of integrity. It was the ultimate test.'

If a king must have one quality, it must be that he should be above dishonesty. Only this boy passed the test. A boiled seed cannot sprout.' Never!!

We live in a society that has become obsessed with success and many show success at any cost. We say the end justifies the means. It is the tragedy of life. You see, failure often is an invitation to God to show that he is all powerful and does not need help to make us great or to bless us.

Dear Lord, help us to live our life with integrity. Help us learn from the failures we have and use them to make us great in Your eyes. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

You Reap What You Sow

Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

In 1962, maverick inventor Bill Lear wanted a challenge. The sixty-year-old Lear had already invented the 8-track tape, and the automatic direction finder and auto pilot for aircraft. So in 1962 he sold his interest in Lear, Inc. to form Learjet, which became the leading supplier of corporate jets within five years.

But soon after his company started producing jets, there were two Lear aircraft that crashed under mysterious circumstances. Lear was devastated. He'd developed the plane to offer business travelers a fast, economical alternative to the airlines. At that time, 55 Lear jets were privately owned. Bill sent word to all the owners to ground their planes until he and his team could determine what had caused the crashes.

To Bill, who was a Christian, risking the loss of more lives meant far more than the adverse publicity that grounding all Lear jets might generate in the media. He protected his customers and counted on God to protect the reputation of his corporation. As he researched the two ill-fated flights, a possible technical problem emerged. Bill experimented with his own plane to recreate the same problem. He nearly lost control of the jet in the process, but found that a defect in the plane's design did exist.

All 55 planes were fitted with a new part, eliminating the danger. Bill spent two years rebuilding the business. Lear jets were soon soaring again, carrying thousands of business people safely to their destinations.

We are responsible for our actions and we will reap the fruit of our labor.

Dear Lord,  thank You for blessing those who look to You and work responsibly for Your glory. Help us always to have the integrity to do what is right.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Are You True to Your Word?

Psalm 119:160 (NIV)

All your words are true;

    all your righteous laws are eternal.

Part of the unspoken code among the settlers of the American West was that a man always kept his word. That explains why Andrew Garcia made a 1,300-mile trek in 1879 to pay a debt. In September of the previous year he had bought supplies in Bozeman, Montana, to hunt buffalo. The 10 pack-mules, ammunition, food, and gear cost him $300 more than he had, so a merchant loaned him the rest. He promised to pay it back by January 1.

The winter snows came early that year, however, and Garcia couldn't get back to Bozeman. His travels took him through Colorado and down into New Mexico. Finally, a year later, he headed back to Bozeman. "Don't bother," his buddies told him. But Garcia believed in keeping his word, so he returned and paid the debt.

Followers of Christ should also be known as people of integrity. If we say we'll help with a Sunday school class, or assist in the nursery, or spend time with a family member, or complete a job as agreed, do we keep our word even if something better comes along? Are we true to our word?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would be people of our word. Help us be true to our word.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Rich Beyond Measure

Proverbs 20:7,11 (NIV)

7 The righteous lead blameless lives;

    blessed are their children after them.

11 Even small children are known by their actions,

    so is their conduct really pure and upright?

The story goes like this.

At local newspaper machine there was a middle-aged lady. She had a handful of quarters and was slowly buying paper after paper gently closing the machine after each purchase. She smiled as she explained that her daughter’s picture was in the paper to those around. She was getting copies for all the members of her extended family.

When she turned to leave people noticed a hole in her shoe and realized that the rest of her clothes had also seen better days. She climbed into her rusty, 20 year old pick-up truck and after 30 seconds of trying finally got it started. She smiled again and waved as she drove off.

She could have taken the extra papers she needed while only paying for one. But she didn't  She turned out to be one of the richest people in the world.

I only wish that everyone in this world had this lady’s wisdom and wealth. She was rich beyond measure in all the important things in life. She was rich in honesty, integrity, goodness, kindness, cheerfulness, joy, and love. She was rich in family and in friends. She was rich most of all in oneness with God. It didn't matter if her truck was old, her clothes were worn, and her dollars were few. She was rich in her heart and soul, and she possessed within her the wealth of an entire Kingdom: the Kingdom of Heaven.

The next time you find yourself thinking and worrying about money then remember that the real riches in this world can’t be bought. They must be chosen in your heart, created in your soul, and shared in your life. They are the love of God and the joy of living. And the more you give them away the more you receive them back in this life and in the next.

Dear Lord, we pray today that we would have honesty, integrity, goodness, kindness, cheerfulness, joy, and love in everything we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Double Refund, What Do You Do?

Proverbs 11:1,3 (NIV)

1 The Lord detests dishonest scales,

    but accurate weights find favor with him.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,

    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

I read a story the other day that is a great example of integrity. The story is told like this.

The story begins the day I tried to install a particular internet service on my computer. It didn't take me long to discover that I didn't have the right plug on my PC for the necessary modem, and it was clear that I would have to go with a different internet service.

I called the company to inform them that their modem wouldn't work with my system, and I was instructed to wait for the proper shipping labels to arrive in the mail, and then to return their equipment. The labels took a couple of weeks to arrive, but as soon as I had them in hand, I mailed the modem back to the company. Imagine my surprise when I received a bill from this company for two months use of their service!

I was a little upset, needless to say, but a phone call cleared it all up, and I put the entire incident out of my mind.

One day, months later, I decided to call the bank to find out if my paycheck had arrived. It was a good thing I did, because I was informed that my bank balanced showed a $30.00 overdraft! I knew THAT couldn't be right! Upon further investigation, I discovered that this internet company was charging me for a modem that they claimed was never returned!

I was not happy, to say the least, but I remembered how a phone call had corrected the earlier problem, and I called them again. Sure enough, they informed me that they had, indeed, received the modem, and they promised to send me a check that would cover not only what they withdrew from my account, but also the N.S.F. fee.

Okay. They were making things right. It was finally over, and I breathed easily again. Until they charge me for the modem a SECOND time!!!

This time I was furious. Not even taking the time to think, I picked up the phone, and this time NO ONE at the company doubted my frustration! After all, ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH!! After talking, screaming and crying to one person after another, I finally had to accept their word that I would be refunded at a much later date, and that I wouldn't be charged again.

I did finally receive what they owed me, and after depositing it in the bank, I brushed off the entire ordeal. Imagine my astonishment when I then received another check from this internet company, this time for $30.00!

Knowing they didn't owe me any more money, I phoned again. I tried to explain the history of my problem to the gentleman on the other end, but though I was speaking calmly, I could tell by his tone of voice that he was preparing for the worst. It took awhile for me to convince him that I wasn't calling to complain, but to report a mistake.

When he finally understood, he audibly relaxed. “Thanks for your honesty,” he said as he prepared to hang up the phone.

“But I can’t keep the check,” I responded.

His response was incredulous: “Why not?”

“Well, if I cash the check, I would be stealing from you,” I tried to explain, “and stealing is a sin.”

He didn't quite see it that way. “It’s not stealing,” he argued. “You aren't taking it by force!”

“Well, if I take something from someone’s front yard, would that be stealing?” I asked. “Even if it was just laying there and I don’t take it by force?”

It took a while, but in the end he seemed to understand my point of view that taking something that doesn't belong to you is stealing, plain and simple. “I can’t believe you called about this,” he said in the end. “It’s nice to get this kind of a call for a change!” Then he put me on hold in order to go and speak with his boss.

A few moments later he returned. “It was a computer error in your favor,” he explained. “You may keep the check without feeling like a thief!”

I was pretty happy about this, but his next question made me even happier: “Why are you so different, anyway?”

“Because I’m a Christian,” I told him. “I have a relationship with Jesus and I don’t want to sin against Him!”

Imagine my surprise when he responded with: “How can I get to know your Jesus, too?”

I was more than happy to tell him, and when I got off the phone, I was rejoicing. All of that craziness, but in the end, not only did I gain $30.00 (which, believe me, was MUCH needed!), but I also gained a brother in Christ!

As we read this story we can see that life always brings us these kinds of situations. Whenever we find ourselves going through something similar, we need to never forget that it’s always for a reason. It may not always be for our gain, though. It could be to give the chance to someone for finding hope through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Dear Lord, we thank You for all the situations You bring our way. We pray that we would bring honor to You in the way we respond. Help our actions bring others to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What Does Your Character Say About You?

Psalm 18:25-26 (NIV)

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

26 to the pure you show yourself pure,

    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

In his autobiography Days of Grace (Random House Audio, 1993), tennis great Arthur Ashe relates a defining incident that occurred when he was 17 years old. He was playing in a tournament in West Virginia. As was often the case, he was the only contestant of color in the tournament.

One night, some of the kids trashed a cabin. They absolutely destroyed it and then decided to say that Arthur was responsible. The incident was reported in the newspapers; Arthur denied his involvement, but the boys would not change their story. The worst part for Arthur was worrying about what his father would say and do. He eventually made the dreaded phone call.

As he surmised, his father had already learned of the vandalism. His father's tone was grim. He asked Arthur only one question. "Arthur Junior," he asked, "all I want to know is...were you mixed up in that mess?"

Arthur answered, "No, Daddy, I wasn't." His father never asked about it again. Arthur learned that day why he had always been encouraged to tell the truth. There would come a time when he must be believed, and this was such a time. Because he had already earned his trust and respect, he knew his father believed him. From that day on he was determined, above all else, to live a life of integrity.

Unfortunately, we find notable examples of modern leaders in every field who give low priority to personal integrity. But we do not need saints - we need people like you. People who will be known for their integrity. People who will determine to be their best selves. People who daily earn the trust and respect of others, regardless of their age or station in life. People who insist on the importance of character.

Our world does not need another saint. But it needs you.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would be people of integrity today.  Help us be the best people we can be so those around us can trust us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Good Deal or a Bad Deal?

Proverbs 11:3 (New American Standard Bible)

The integrity of the upright will guide them,

But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Many years ago, a Frenchman named Andre-Francois Raffray made what he considered a "great deal" that could only benefit him. He agreed to pay a 90-year-old woman $500 a month until she died. In return, he would own her sought-after grand apartment in the south of France when she died.

There was nothing illegal about Raffray's contract with Jeanne Calment. Buying an apartment en viager (i.e., for life) is not uncommon in France. The elderly owner receives a predictable monthly income from the buyer; the buyer gets a bargain in real estate ... in most cases. Even if he pays the owner for only a few months, the buyer inherits the property upon the owner's death.

But this particular deal went sour. The Guinness Book of Records listes Ms. Calment as the world's oldest person able to document her age. She is 120. Mr. Raffray died on Christmas Day of 1995 ... after paying more than $184,000 for an apartment he never lived in or owned. Under French law, his wife, children, and grandchildren will have to continue paying the elderly lady $500 per month until she dies.

The apartment in question is valued at less than half the amount already paid to Ms. Calment. What looked like a sure thing became a misfortune of major proportion for Mr. Raffray and his family.

It sounds like some of those deals Satan offers all of us. A flirtation, juggling figures, misrepresenting a product or service ... the possibilities are practically endless. And who will ever know? What will it matter? Others do things so much worse! Well, you know the rationalizations that come to mind.

Then you begin to pay and pay and PAY. First goes your self-respect. Then comes reputation. Next comes job or family. It seems so wrong that one could be asked to pay so much for what amounted to so little. But those are the breaks of this game called life.

Integrity is better kept than recovered. So watch out for those tawdry deals that offer you what you have no right to possess. They exact too high a price in the long run.

Dear Lord we pray that we would live a life of integrity. We pray that the decisions we make would be wise decisions and that they would bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Integrity Worth More Than Riches

Author Larry Burkett writes: An antique dealer named Roy bought what he thought might be Jefferson's desk, which disappeared during the Civil War. But concluding it was simply a good reproduction, he included it in his auction. On auction day, a woman came in, loved the desk, and promised to pick it up and pay next day.


Before the auction, bidder Tom examined the desk. "Did you get a good price for that desk you have a hold on, Roy?"
"Just what I had in it - at least I will tomorrow."


"I'll give you twice what you paid right now!"


"You're crazy, Tom. That's not an original, just a good copy."


"No, Roy. Only the insides of the drawers have been replaced. The chestnut is 18th century; the craftsmanship is definitely original."

When the woman arrived next morning, Roy explained what he'd learned. "Then you won't sell it?" the woman asked dejectedly. "Yes, I will," Roy replied. "I gave my word."


But after weighing the responsibility of owning a Jefferson desk, she told Roy she'd settle for a good reproduction. Roy sold the desk to a museum. He presented the woman with a beautiful reproduction plus a check for $100,000. He realized his integrity was worth more than a short-term profit.


Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
- Philippians 4:8 (New American Standard Bible)






Dear Lord we pray that we will have the integrity to do what we know is right. We pray that it will be a blessing to those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is Integrity Your Compass?

We had a great Sunday School lesson today, we talked about how God is always just and fair. One of the verses we looked up class today was in the book of Psalm where it talks about integrity. It reminded me of a story I read once.

In his book Integrity, Ted Engstrom told his story: "For Coach Cleveland Stroud and the Bulldogs of Rockdale County High School (Conyers, Georgia), it was their championship season: 21 wins and 5 losses on the way to the Georgia boys' basketball tournament last March, then a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the state finals. "But now the new glass trophy case outside the high school gymnasium is bare. Earlier this month the Georgia High School Association deprived Rockdale County of the championship after school officials said that a player who was scholastically ineligible had played 45 seconds in the first of the school's five postseason games. 'We didn't know he was ineligible at the time; we didn't know it until a few weeks ago,' Mr. Stroud said. 'Some people have said we should have just kept quiet about it, that it was just 45 seconds and the player wasn't an impact player. But you've got to do what's honest and right and what the rules say. I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games; they don't ever forget what you're made of.'"

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

- Psalm 25:21 (New International Version)

Dear Lord , we pray that we would have the integrity to do the things we should even when nobody is around to watch us. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Living the life of integrity

"Tell the truth the first time and then you won't have to remember what you said." That's a quote attributed to the famous Speaker of the House (U.S.A. House of Representatives) Sam Rayburn. That's what God's wisdom is trying to teach us in this passage. Be a person of integrity. Then, when someone finds out your secrets, you can feel secure knowing that you have lived for godliness. However, a perverse and deceitful person has to constantly worry that someone will find him out. There is no security or assurance in crooked paths, only the certainty of getting tripped up and caught. When the secrets of evil that have been whispered in dark places get shouted from the rooftops, those who have lived for the Lord can be secure, knowing that what gets shouted about them is said with the voice of God: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
— Proverbs 10:9

Dear Lord please forgive me, for those times that I have been secretive and dishonest. Help me speak only what is true and appropriate. Transform my evil secrets, through your holy grace, into a holy character that is the same both in public and private. In Jesus' name. Amen.