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DILIGENCE

The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4

Thomas Starzl became interested in organ transplants when he was a surgery resident in medical school. In 1958, he sewed new livers into dogs whose livers had been removed, but all of them died within two days of the operation. A year later he found a way to stabilize circulation and the dogs lived for a week. In March 1963 he performed the first human liver transplant, but his patient bled to death. That failure, and the hepatitis epidemic that spread through artificial kidney transplant centers worldwide during the 1960’s, forced his liver transplant program to be abandoned. But he refused to quit! In 1968, Starzl reported the results from new transplant trials. All seven children involved had survived, although four died within six months - an encouraging but not outstanding result. By 1975 only two liver transplant programs were left in the world. Twenty-three years after he first began, Starzl and his team found success - 19 out of 22 patients lived for long periods! Starzl was criticized, even vilified by the medical establishment for attempting liver transplantation. But he persevered. And we should all be glad he did! Today liver transplants are routinely performed in hospitals around the world and people who once had no hope are now living happy and productive lives. Diligence: what does it mean? Jack London wrote, ‘The proper function of man is to live - not just exist. Therefore I shall not waste my days by trying to prolong them. I shall use my time!’ That just about says it all, doesn’t it?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to be diligent in all that I do, making the most of each day and NEVER EVER giving up. In Jesus’ Name, Amen