Into Your Own Hands

Back in 2006, wild life expert Steve Irwin tragically died when a stingray “barb” shot through heart. His natural instinct was to pull it out, and experts say that’s what killed him. Had he left it in and been rescued, there was a possibility surgery could have saved his life. Dr Eugene Costantini, who operated on 82-year-old American stingray victim James Bertakis, said that Irwin might have been able to receive vital medical attention had he not ripped the barb out of his chest. "The key was the removal that released the blood flow from the inside of the heart and I think that was probably the final event for Steve . . . If [the barb] had been left in place, he might have had the opportunity to make it to a hospital.'' The following year (2007) was a difficult one for me. Incident after incident took place to a point where I felt stabbed through the heart. My natural instinct was to try and justify myself. I wanted to take things into my own hands, but I didn’t. I instead committed myself into the hands of the Chief Surgeon. I did so because I knew that that is God’s way, and to do things His way is a life-saver indeed. Look at Jesus, our great example in Scripture: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously . . . ” (1 Peter 2:22--23). So if you are going through a tough time, and you feel like taking things into your own hands, stop and think about it for a moment. It may seem like the right thing to do, but the consequences may be tragic.