When I was ten, I loved professional wrestling like my many other kids. Sting and the Ultimate Warrior were my favorites, and of course Hulk Hogan when he was a good guy. I didn’t like Randy “Macho Man” Savage because he was mean to Miss Elizabeth and I couldn’t stand “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

That’s ironic, since today “The Million Dollar Man” is an appropriate title for me. I’m not talking about my net worth, although that would be nice. This is what my insurance has paid for my health costs over the last fifteen-months.

Mounting Costs

 

One million dollars. This includes the transplant and subsequent treatment up through last month. One can probably add another half a million for treatment during 2013, in which case I would be the “Million-and-a Half Dollar Man.” Further, this is what my insurance has paid, not what the hospitals have charged, which is probably an additional 30-40%. By the way, as a Soldier, I have TRICARE insurance, so I owe a sincere thank you to the American taxpayer.

One million dollars (try saying that and not thinking of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers). It’s almost unfathomable to consider spending a sum this large over a short time to save a life. The Lord has truly overfilled my cup when it comes to providing for me during this trial. I am keenly aware that so many others are not afforded the same means.

But, I haven’t really felt guilty about it. One can make the argument that so many other lives could be saved or improved at the cost of one, but that is a slippery-slope argument and is not informed by an understanding of how insurance works.

Price Check

 

What is the value of a life? What is it worth to keep a father alive to raise his children? To give a husband a chance to grow old with his wife? Can you put a price on such things?

What is a million dollars in the face of eternity?

Think about it for a minute. What parent wouldn’t spend every cent, selling the shirt on their back, just to give their child a chance to live? They would give everything.

And that’s just what Jesus did. He gave everything to give us life. His sacrifice is priceless, worth far more than a million dollars. He not only gave the shirt of His back, but allowed his back to be ripped to shreds in the process.

 

You are worth everything to Him. Yesterday was Friday. The price was paid and the veil torn away. But, today can seem hopeless. I know. The pain and the suffering are still there and God doesn’t seem to be listening. But, no matter how long Saturday seems to last, Sunday is still coming.

 

Note: I wrote a related post back in 2103 before the transplant. You can read it here: http://www.jeffreydcole.com/2013/08/am-i-worth-it/