A friend of mine recently died of cancer, and I wanted to make a few comments about his life. From the time I met him until the time of his death, he walked by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. His life and his death showed that he truly esteemed Christ above all.
Though he was very short in stature (and I'm tall), I greatly looked up to him as a man of excellence and integrity. His faith and fidelity to Christ, his love for wife and family, and his dedication to serve God and man through his vocation and honest business practices have always encouraged me to be a more faithful follower of Christ.
We met nearly thirty years ago when I, my wife (then girlfriend), his wife (then girlfriend), and his younger sister were all college students and in a campus ministry/musical group together. He was a little older and was a medical student at the time. Somehow he worked things out so that he spent a lot of time with our group of friends, and even traveled to churches with our musical group (this was a small church affiliated university).
Even as a young man, his Christian faith was both very serious and at the same time joyful.
They got married when he finished medical school and she graduated college. They went on to have four children, homeschooled them, raising them very intentionally in the Faith. Two are now grown, and the much younger two are still at home.
He was a family practice medical doctor and really had a heart for the wellbeing of his patients. He greatly disliked the way our healthcare system and medical insurance work together to create a "financial racket". They charge cash paying patients far more than they charge insurance companies (who actually require far more work).
He wanted to provide quality, yet very economical healthcare for working people who lacked health insurance, particularly small businesses owners.
I remember him saying that doctors charged cash paying patients something like $200 for an office visit, but insurance companies would only pay say $120 ( numbers might be off, this discussion was some time ago). He thought this made no sense seeing that insurance payment processing required a great deal of work.
To use Biblical language, basically he though this equalled "dishonest weights and measures". Being a God fearing man, he wanted to do something about it.
He decided to open a "cash on the barrel" practice, and not have to hire anyone to do his billing, or insurance payment processing. He started his practice with just a cell phone for scheduling his own appointments.
This enabled him to charge vastly lower prices. He opened this practice about twenty years ago. His wife and mother helped him a little, with bookkeeping but he was mainly a "one man show".
Even recently, he was charging his patients only $50 dollars for adult office visits and $40 for children.
He never got wealthy. He drove a minivan instead of a Mercedes or BMW. His house was average. He made enough money to provide for his family, but didn't feel the need to live the lavish "doctor lifestyle".
His family loved and esteemed him. His patients appreciated him. I greatly respected him. I believe his Master was pleased with him.
Well done my friend
Though he was very short in stature (and I'm tall), I greatly looked up to him as a man of excellence and integrity. His faith and fidelity to Christ, his love for wife and family, and his dedication to serve God and man through his vocation and honest business practices have always encouraged me to be a more faithful follower of Christ.
We met nearly thirty years ago when I, my wife (then girlfriend), his wife (then girlfriend), and his younger sister were all college students and in a campus ministry/musical group together. He was a little older and was a medical student at the time. Somehow he worked things out so that he spent a lot of time with our group of friends, and even traveled to churches with our musical group (this was a small church affiliated university).
Even as a young man, his Christian faith was both very serious and at the same time joyful.
They got married when he finished medical school and she graduated college. They went on to have four children, homeschooled them, raising them very intentionally in the Faith. Two are now grown, and the much younger two are still at home.
He was a family practice medical doctor and really had a heart for the wellbeing of his patients. He greatly disliked the way our healthcare system and medical insurance work together to create a "financial racket". They charge cash paying patients far more than they charge insurance companies (who actually require far more work).
He wanted to provide quality, yet very economical healthcare for working people who lacked health insurance, particularly small businesses owners.
I remember him saying that doctors charged cash paying patients something like $200 for an office visit, but insurance companies would only pay say $120 ( numbers might be off, this discussion was some time ago). He thought this made no sense seeing that insurance payment processing required a great deal of work.
To use Biblical language, basically he though this equalled "dishonest weights and measures". Being a God fearing man, he wanted to do something about it.
He decided to open a "cash on the barrel" practice, and not have to hire anyone to do his billing, or insurance payment processing. He started his practice with just a cell phone for scheduling his own appointments.
This enabled him to charge vastly lower prices. He opened this practice about twenty years ago. His wife and mother helped him a little, with bookkeeping but he was mainly a "one man show".
Even recently, he was charging his patients only $50 dollars for adult office visits and $40 for children.
He never got wealthy. He drove a minivan instead of a Mercedes or BMW. His house was average. He made enough money to provide for his family, but didn't feel the need to live the lavish "doctor lifestyle".
His family loved and esteemed him. His patients appreciated him. I greatly respected him. I believe his Master was pleased with him.
Well done my friend
! May we all live like this beautiful soul in some area in our lives . Wish I had known him yet glad to know he lived in my generation. I am encouraged.