Thinking Outside The Box

It is said that politics make strange bedfellows.  In other words, political groups that may be opposed to each other may actually band together in order to get a specific bill passed.  They set aside their differences for a common good.   Hence, alliances formed in desperation may consequently be profitable to both groups.

There is an interesting story in II Kings 5 about a desperate man whose name was Naaman.  He was a great military leader, the captain of the army of the king of Syria.  He was a highly respected warrior.  But, he also suffered from leprosy.  The Bible doesn't list the extent of his leprosy but you know it certainly was a hardship for him.  Also, you can imagine how he searched for anyone or anything that would deliver him from his sickness.  Sadly, nothing helped. 

Then, he reached for a cure from an unusual source, his enemy.  The Bible says that "...the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman's wife" (II Kings 5:2 NASB).  Perhaps being a little naive of the relationship between Syria and Israel but yet being full of faith, the girl thought her new master would benefit from the healing ministry of the prophet Elisha in Israel.  She subsequently convinced him to seek out Elisha, even though Syria and Israel were not on the best of terms.  Elisha told Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River and his leprosy would be removed.  After some prodding by his servants, this mighty soldier immersed himself in the Jordan and was cured.  Had Naaman stayed in Syria, he would have remained a leper.  Yet, looking outside of his country (or thinking outside of the box, using a more modern term) would ultimately lead to his healing.

When dealing with cancer, sometimes traditional methods of treatment may not be producing the intended result.  Consequently, some cancer patients may seek cures from additional sources such as nationwide cancer centers.  Nothing wrong with visiting such places if financial resources are available.  As a matter of fact, traveling to another land  (as occurred with Naaman) may lead to a wonderful cure.  Furthermore, of all people, bear in mind that Naaman's cure started with the advice of a little girl.  Perhaps God puts the most insignificant people in our lives to point us to a pathway of recovery.

You can learn more about my personal cancer victory and insights I gained from the battle by reading my book, "A Place I Didn't Want To Go: My Victory Over Cancer". It can be accessed at:

http://www.amazon.com/Place-Didnt-Want-Go-Victory/dp/0983453624/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324565593&sr=1-1