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Awhile back, I wrote a post called Isn't it Ironic? Not particularly. If you haven't read it, check it out. It's mildly amusing.
Anyway, my friend, fellow blogger and fellow C3 member was telling me about a situation at work that actually IS ironic. Jude works for a non-profit clinic. They have recently started serving other members of the community, but it began as, and still is primarily a clinic that provides services for those infected with HIV and AIDS. As a Christian surrounded mostly by non-Christians (some of them fairly outspoken opponents), she has been a great example of what it means to be in the world but not of the world. Because she has witnessed through her actions and how she has treated others in the workplace, she actually had the opportunity to witness to a room full on non-believers. To her surprise, they were actually quite a captive audience. Vince Antonucci says in his book, "I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" that we have to be the good news before sharing the good news for our words to have any integrity. I dig that.
What does any of this have to do with irony? Nothing really. Just wanted to give you some background. Here's the irony: Because our elected officials are scrambling to pass the stimulus package, they are letting other things go on the back burner. Things like approving funding already in place. Like funding that allows government funded clinics to continue to provide life saving treatment to people who cannot afford private care. People who may die without said treatment. To me, that's ironic. Check it out here: And Jude Wonders
If you'd like to drop your local representative a little note of encouragment (insert voice dripping with sarcasm here), here's one of many websites where you can find out where to send it: writerep.house.gov . I'm sure they would happy to hear from you.
Anyway, my friend, fellow blogger and fellow C3 member was telling me about a situation at work that actually IS ironic. Jude works for a non-profit clinic. They have recently started serving other members of the community, but it began as, and still is primarily a clinic that provides services for those infected with HIV and AIDS. As a Christian surrounded mostly by non-Christians (some of them fairly outspoken opponents), she has been a great example of what it means to be in the world but not of the world. Because she has witnessed through her actions and how she has treated others in the workplace, she actually had the opportunity to witness to a room full on non-believers. To her surprise, they were actually quite a captive audience. Vince Antonucci says in his book, "I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" that we have to be the good news before sharing the good news for our words to have any integrity. I dig that.
What does any of this have to do with irony? Nothing really. Just wanted to give you some background. Here's the irony: Because our elected officials are scrambling to pass the stimulus package, they are letting other things go on the back burner. Things like approving funding already in place. Like funding that allows government funded clinics to continue to provide life saving treatment to people who cannot afford private care. People who may die without said treatment. To me, that's ironic. Check it out here: And Jude Wonders
If you'd like to drop your local representative a little note of encouragment (insert voice dripping with sarcasm here), here's one of many websites where you can find out where to send it: writerep.house.gov . I'm sure they would happy to hear from you.
22 comments:
I thought we were supposed to always use a voice dripping with sarcasm...oops...lol jp I agree, it's ironic and maddening. I think of us as just regular people like everyone else and we can't afford medical care either so something needs to be done.
I think one of the worst things the church ever did was start letting the government do the kind of support that we should be providing. The big problem is that no single denomination could pull it off and we tend to work against each other in fear of losing out little piece instead of with each other.
In the Great Depression, instead of churches joining together and supporting the lost and hurting we let the government and now we expect the government, but seem surprised when they government wants to keep taking.
I'm gonna post the sermon I preached Sunday night. It is about working together with other denominations and churches within our denom. I think if we did this then we wouldn't need the government programs we have come to rely on.
Preach on, Nick, preach on.
Sometimes we are so messed up my mind is just overwhelmed to know where I can even START to help fixing it. The youth center I used to work at depends a lot on gov't funding, too.
And guess who doesn't have medical insurance right now? Uh, yeah, that would be me. Why? Because adding me to my husband's policy would mean that we couldn't pay our other bills. But we do have our kids on there at least. Nevermind that I'm still making payments for Baby Jay's birth...even though that was WITH insurance. So I'm not sure having insurance even helps at all. Seems like I just pay money to pay more money. I'm not bitter at all about this, by the way.... ;)
Thanks, Kat, for your supportive blog post. We got notification yesterday that we will be getting some stimulus dollars...not as much as the dollars we are waiting on but it will lessen the gap and save a few people's jobs.
wv: strater - what some of my coworkers need to be! lol!
That sermon I mentioned above
Yeah told you I'd put it up.
Nick, I'm gonna head over to your site and listen to your sermon on my lunch break. Woot! I'm strangely intrigued to hear what your voice sounds like...;)
Kat, thanks for the link to Jude's site. What he talks about...that is seriously messed up. I had no idea that our esteemed leaders were not releasing budget money. For the love, that should be impeachment grounds for the whole lot of them.
Beth, my cyber sista, I feel ya. I went for a brief period uninsured because adding me on to the hubs and kids insurance doubled our monthly premium. I finally got a job that paid my insurance and I can breathe a sigh of relief. But you aren't far off the mark in saying you wonder if having no insurance is a bad thing. Our youngest had cancer almost 5 years ago. We were wiped out financially, with good insurance. The kids with NO insurance got top of the line care, and no joke, we saw 2 children with insurance die because their carrier refused certain treatments (ie. bone marrow transplants). Our healthcare system is seriously jacked up when children die because their families don't have several hundred thousand dollars laying around to pay for treatments when the insurance denies their claim. There's some irony if I ever saw it...
Marni-
Wow, thanks for that. Sometimes I get in self-pity mode, and what you described makes me thankful instead. Those poor parents. Is that tied into the charity work you do?
Beth, you weren't in self pity mode at all. Worrying about your health or your families health because of money is a completely legit thing to be concerned about. It's hard for me to be thankful for healthcare when it becomes more about money than about people, so I wallow in pity myself from time to time. But that's another soapbox for another day--I don't want hijack Kat's blog with my rant on healthcare and how we're allowing money to lord over human compassion in alarming ways.
Yes, the charity work I do is tied to childhood cancer because of my sweet baby girl (5 year survivor this year, praise GOD!) I work with Curesearch, Children's Cancer Fund and Make A Wish (which is where the weird "lip question" came up at!) It's the least I can do to help serve others who so lovingly served us during a terrifying and painful time of our life. Plus, I get to show the peace of Jesus to families who are drowning in hopelessness. It's an amazing ministry and I'm blessed God sees fit to use me.
Hey Beth, look on the bright side. Our gub'ment is becoming Socialistic and they will have you relying on them for healthcare - which they will provide. It'll suck. But at least those politicians will be able to feel good about themselves since they gave you some form of healthcare. (Uh...my voice IS NOT dripping with sarcasm...)
Beth,
This is the first time I've been insured in about 5 years. Fortunately the kids were covered by Medicaid because we did have several hospital stays.
You might check with your hospital about those bills. Every hospital we have been to has a program for helping people on a need base. You fill out forms for your income and bills and such then they see if they can afford to write off what you own them or a portion of it.
Not saying they will have such a program or if your income will qualify you, but a little paperwork is worth the opportunity if you ask me.
Marni,
Let me know what you think of the sermon but don't comment on my voice, I hate to hear myself because it sounds like me but different.
Consider this blog hijacked!
Nick,
Yeah, the billing people are really nice at the hospital and will work out payment plans and such, but the insurance companies sure aren't. We consistently make just enough money to not qualify for any help. I've come to the conclusion that God is just trying to teach dependence on Him and patience through this stuff. We always have what we need when we need it. We're getting a decent tax check this year. Guess what it goes to?? :)
Marni,
Awesome about your daughter celebrating 5 years and awesome work you're doing!!
Annie,
I don't know...at this point I might take gov't run healthcare over "worrying if I can afford even going to the doctor for my sore throat" healthcare...
Hey, mi el bloggo, es su el bloggo. (Ha! And my high school counselor said I needed to take Spanish!) Feel free to highjack, rant, etc...
I just finished a full throttle rant for tomorrow. If you would like to participate, feel free. However, if you are a big Martha Stewart fan, maybe you shouldn't read my blog tomorrow.
Kat, it does sound very frustrating. I would love to see everyone in the country get excellent health care, regardless of ability to pay. I would love to see people get excellent healthcare without going into bankruptcy. Unfortunately, government beauacracy (sp?) does not fix potholes excellently. I have my doubts that they will do better in more complicated areas. We will be exchanging one set of problems for another. Which is what I think you are saying, right?
I am frustrated because I see a lot of graft in my state (Illinois? Dishonest budgets you say? How surprising? Who ever heard of corruption in Illinois? (Now THAT's sarcasm...)). I am cynical enough to believe it exists in our National Government as well. I am thinking that maybe if we can clean out the graft and dishonesty by politicians dipping into programs that already exist, maybe we can afford better healthcare for the uninsured without raising taxes, but to leave it there, and then start another program vulnerable to graft and dishonesty makes me queasy.
If my taxes were raised to actually improve healthcare for all, and not to pad a political pocket, I would be glad to know that me and my neighbors don't have to go bankrupt to care for our health. But I don't trust that to happen.
In the interest of hijacking, I'll just talk to Nick now. It's like stealing Kat's cell phone and making personal calls, but I digress.
Nick, LOVED the sermon. Loved what you said about an hour in the presence of God vs. eternity in the presence of God. Was this sermon delivered to just your youth kids? If so, I'm impressed you "preach up" rather than "dumb down" doctrine just because they're young. Good stuff. Holla if you post more sermons. I like listening to cool ones online while I work ;)
Full throttle rant on Martha? Oh my cup runneth over. Can't wait, can't wait...!!!
wv:ovenesse--a pretentious name an uptight and rude broad like Martha would call a kitchen appliance.
UPDATE:
The feds made some progress. I posted an update to my original blog.
wv rosses - a rose is a rose is a rosses
Oooo...Martha. This sounds interesting.
And we're going to have to work on the espanol, mi amiga. Aren't you in Texas...that was almost a part of Mexico at one point??? ;)
Buenas noches.
So...I had to get in on the hijack. Having lived in a Socialist country (how's it going, eh) I for one hope we don't get socialized medicine. Our oldest was born in Canada, and while it was "free", we paid out the wazoo in taxes. (the sales tax ended up being close to 18% when you put provincial sales tax and the GST - goods and service tax together - and then there's income tax) Anyway - I digress - I really didn't have plans of being brave and going it "natural" - but that's what I got - since there were no complications(other than the 30 some hours of labor) there was no need for anything more than some Demeral. It was not fun. Our second child was born in the states and was not covered by our insurance. We paid on her birth like a car. But it was worth every penny to get the epidural! S0 - for what it's worth...I grumble about our healthcare system sometimes and then remember - it could be worse. I'm just sayin
wv: alionill - now that's ironic! a sick lion?
-Tamara
Beth, Big Al and have have had on again off again insurance due to being self employed over the years and it is very scary. I feel for you.
Marni- God bless you and yours- I work with the American Cancer Society as a chairperson for their big fundraiser every year, THE RELAY FOR LIFE and my heart goes out to anyone who has battled or has a family member who has battled cancer. The Insurance companies are almost more scary than the disease itself! (if that's possible).
Katdish- I will send my letter while leaving a tiny little (stomping) footprint of mine for affect.
with a size 6.5 you could sign it with your footprint like they do in cartoons and handprints.
I'm not American, but that makes me angry..... though I probably disagree with most of you about what the Government should provide. In my country it's a given that you will get healthcare. Hopefully the stimulus will work as more of a fence at the top of the cliff in the long run though... so less people need the ambulance at the bottom.
Enjoying reading through your blog... been looking at your comments on SCL for a while now!
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