Spiritual Experiences from the Brain

Mental Telepathy and a Miracle in OR #4, continued

 

As I moved the tumor away from the spinal cord I saw what appeared to be nerves within the wall of the tumor… and they were cut. ‘That’s impossible…it couldn’t be’, I thought. ‘It just didn’t make sense’. Immediately I thought the pathologist’s interpretation had to have been wrong. It must be a tumor that arose from the nerves themselves and not a meningioma. So I took a biopsy from another area of the tumor and sent it to him for reexamination. Several moments later the pathologist called back into the room and said it was indeed a meningioma.

So I inspected the area between the tumor and the spinal cord again. Perhaps, I thought, the tumor arose from the dura laterally and as it grew slowly toward the spinal cord it displaced not only the spinal cord but the sensory and motors nerves along with it. The thing of it was, I couldn’t trace these ‘nerves’ back to the spinal cord where the motor nerves exit en route to the biceps muscle in Annie’s right arm.

Perhaps these ‘nerves’ were actually sensory nerves that were pushed down by the growing tumor toward the motor nerves and then looped backed on themselves to join the other sensory nerves. Regardless, I thought, because they were so adherent to the tumor wall, they were very likely permanently damaged anyway and not functional.

To be sure, I stimulated them with a nerve stimulator but there was no response.

It is at times like this during a case that I stop what I am doing and reassess the goal of my surgery…the purpose for subjecting this lovely elderly woman to a major operation. Sure it would have been nice to be able to completely remove the tumor, but to do so would have been, at least in part, to gratify my ego as the ‘best neurosurgeon on the planet’! No, my reason for operating in the first place was to decompress the spinal cord or to remove that pressure that was threatening to permanently damage Annie’s spinal cord and paralyze her from the neck down. And I had already accomplished that.

Besides this was a slow-growing tumor and Annie was 84-years-old, so the likelihood this tumor would grow back and cause any significant problems in the time that Annie had left was remote. Not to mention to extend the length of time Annie was under general anesthesia at her age would only increase the risk of post-operative complications.

And so it was at this point I decided that ‘the enemy of good is better’!

This is a truism that I have learned pertains not only to surgery but life as well. Often times we attain an acceptable outcome in whatever we may have set out to do and any attempt to attain ‘perfection’ only serves to undo all the good we have already accomplished. And so at times like this we should be happy with the ‘good’ we have done and we must bury our pride when our ego wants to be ‘better’.

As a safety measure, instead of merely suturing the dural tube closed, I inserted and sutured in place a tissue graft to enlarge the diameter of the dura. In this way, if the tumor did grow it would have twice as much space and thereby lessen the likelihood it would ever cause undue pressure on Annie’s spinal cord.

Immediately after the surgery, when Annie awoke from the effects of general anesthesia, I went into the Recovery Room to examine her. To my grateful surprise, the strength in her right arm and hand was completely normal! There was no abnormality or deficit of sensation or motor function. It actually was not the first time I have expected a neurologic problem post-operatively only to discover there was none.

Perhaps, those nerves were not working to begin with or that they were redundant and not needed, or perhaps it was just miraculous. Regardless, the way in which the events of Annie’s surgical procedure transpired certainly affected what I did surgically. And I am convinced that was the true miracle…that Annie came through the surgery fine, without any complications.

Soon after I checked on Annie, I went out to the surgical waiting room to speak with Jill. I sat down and began to describe to her the events of surgery. Half way through she interrupted me and said ‘you know, it seemed to me that the surgery was taking a long time so I said to myself, I wish he would just remove the part of the tumor that was compressing the spinal cord and not worry about trying to get the entire tumor out’. To which I replied, ‘well, that is exactly what I did’. Jill promptly smiled and thanked me for everything I had done. I reassured her that her mom was resting comfortably in the recovery room and was doing fine, her strength was normal and that she would be up and about in no time.

And so I left to make rounds feeling blessed that I listened to my conscience and the angels that always whisper in my ear, hoping I will listen.

“Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” Philippians 2:3-4

Mental Telepathy and a Miracle in OR #4

Annie Carter is a very pleasant, spry 84-year-old woman who had been quite healthy all her life. So she was a little surprised when her doctor, Dr. Thomas sent her to the Emergency Room because she thought Annie was having a heart attack. For several days she had been experiencing some pain in her upper back, across her shoulder blades. She didn’t have chest pain or left arm pain radiating up into her jaw, the typical signs of a heart attack. And she certainly didn’t have the sensation that an elephant was sitting on her chest! If anything it felt like a horse kicked her in the back. She had an EKG performed, blood drawn for tests and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The cardiologist examined her and reviewed the results of all her tests and concluded she did not have a heart attack. In fact her heart was healthier than someone half her age! Of course none of that surprised Annie. She was then discharged home.

Nevertheless, she continued to have these pains and in fact they worsened in severity becoming burning in quality as well. She also developed some tingling in her right arm, oh and by the way she had been experiencing some numbness in her right foot as well, which she had forgotten to tell her doctor initially. Because of this Dr. Thomas ordered an MRI of her cervical spine, thinking Annie had to have a pinched nerve or two in her neck. Well she had more than a pinched nerve. When Dr. Thomas called with the results of her scan, Annie was more than a bit surprised when she was told she would need to see a neurosurgeon…she had a spinal cord tumor that could paralyze her at any time!

When I saw Annie in my office she was accompanied by her daughter Jill, who was a carbon copy of Annie, just younger. They both appeared young and vibrant, and Annie certainly seemed much younger than her 84 years. When I examined her it was clear to me she had something compressing her spinal cord, as there were early signs of spinal cord damage.

I then brought up the images of her cervical spine MRI on the computer in the examination room and began to review the findings with Annie and Jill.

The cervical spine is made up of 7 roughly block shaped bones (or vertebrae) that sit on top of one another. (The first and second vertebra, however, have a slightly different shape, but nonetheless sit in line with the others.) Separating these blocks are the discs, or spongy-like shock absorbers that also allow the spine to bend forward, backward, side to side and also twist or rotate. Each spinal block has two small bones that protrude backward from each side, kind of like the walls of a house. Every house, of course needs a roof, so on the back side of these small bones is a gable-like roof that encloses the space called the spinal canal. It is here that the spinal cord is protected, enclosed within a sheath of tissue called the dura, which is shaped like a tube. Within this tube is also the cerebro-spinal fluid which bathes and cushions the spinal cord. Within this spinal canal the spinal cord travels from the brain down to the rest of the body.

The bony spinal canal in Annie’s neck was approximately 1 inch in its widest diameter. The spinal cord occupied about half of this space. The tumor was located at the level between the fifth and sixth vertebrae within the dural tube, on the right side, and was twice the size of the spinal cord. Because of it size it deformed her spinal cord and pushed it to the left. In spite of her age I had to do something to lessen this pressure before the tumor caused significant paralysis of her arms and legs.

Fortunately, based on its appearance on the MRI scan the tumor was benign and not cancer.

I spoke with Annie and Jill about the surgical procedure and the risks involved, and though I told them the risk of paralysis was small, it was always a possibility. They understood and wished to proceed with the operation.

At the time of surgery, I cut away the roof of the house of the spinal canal at the fifth and sixth level. Having peeled away the tissue layer enclosing Annie’s spinal cord, the spinal fluid flooded my surgical field. After I suctioned this fluid away, I could easily see the tumor squashing Annie’s spinal cord. At this point I moved the operating microscope into position in order to be as precise as I could be removing the tumor. Protecting the spinal cord with tiny cotton sponges, I biopsied the tumor. Shortly afterward, the pathologist confirmed the diagnosis; it was a benign tumor, a meningioma.

On the surface of the tumor were the small nerves coming from the spinal cord, which supplied sensation to Annie’s right arm. On the bottom side of the tumor, I knew had to be the nerves supplying the electrical signal to the muscles in Annie’s right arm that would allow her to grasp her coffee cup in the morning and bring it to her mouth so she could drink it.  Damage to these nerves would have devastating consequences, especially since Annie was right-handed.

I then proceeded to remove the tumor using an ultrasonic probe, similar to what a dentist uses to clean your teeth, but this one not only disrupts the tumor tissue, it sucks up the tumor cells essentially shrinking the tumor from the inside. In this way the walls of the tumor can be collapsed and thereby dissected, or moved away, from the spinal cord and its nerves.

Some spinal tumors which arise from the nerves of the spinal cord invade and encompass these nerves, which prevents removal of the tumor without cutting or sacrificing them. Meningiomas, in general push away the spinal cord and its nerves and while it may be difficult to dissect those nerves away, using the surgical microscope, it is possible.

When I had removed a majority of the tumor and could push the wall of the tumor away from the spinal cord I was able to see on the other side of the tumor, expecting to see the motor or muscle nerves passing along the back side of the tumor and out through their opening in the spinal canal traveling to Annie’s right arm. When I did so, however, I was quite literally shocked at what I saw….

The Good Samaritan

 

David Arnold was a sick man. He had every reason to be depressed and perhaps even a bit angry. He had coronary artery disease having had a heart attack a year ago. He had high blood pressure, diabetes and peripheral arterial disease, the combination of which resulted in kidney damage which would soon require dialysis. In addition he also developed blockage in the circulation to his right foot and then his left leg which in turn resulted in gangrene. Because of this he required amputation of the toes of his right foot and amputation of his leg just below the knee on the left. Initially he had a prosthesis made for his left leg but because he had difficulties with this he was unable to walk and was confined to a motorized wheelchair to get around.

And if this wasn’t bad enough, he had fallen transferring from his wheelchair two days prior to his admission to the hospital and upon arrival to the ER, a CT scan revealed he also had a developed a small blood clot on the surface of his brain on the left side. That’s when I was called to see him. When I walked into his room in the ICU for the first time he was lying in bed with his eyes closed. In cases such as this it is critically important for me to be sure the patient is just sleeping and not comatose. If David was in a coma this would be indicative of significantly increased pressure on the brain, which would require emergency surgery to remove the blood clot or hematoma.

Lying there, looking at him, it appeared as though he hadn’t shaved in more than several days, and probably had not bathed either. Immediately, I began to assume he probably was an alcoholic as well. I shook him and called out his name. He promptly opened his eyes, but only half way and shot a piercing glance at me as if to say ‘what the hell do you want?’ I told him who I was and why I was there. He said nothing. I asked him, ‘where do you live’? He muttered, ‘In a house’. Despite several more questions, he said nothing further. I ordered a follow-up CT scan to be sure the hematoma had not enlarged and was causing more pressure on his brain. It was unchanged.

 As it turned out, he was not an alcoholic; he was just ornery by nature, a curmudgeon.

I followed him daily in the hospital for about a week, ordering additional scans to be the sure the hematoma was not enlarging. It did not and so I signed off his case.

About a week later, Chad, my physician’s assistant called me to let me know a repeat CT scan had been obtained on David because he had some increasing headaches. The blood clot had enlarged and now was causing significant pressure on his brain. In fact it caused a slight shifting of the left side of his brain into the space normally occupied by only the right side. He needed surgery. Fortunately David remained alert and displayed no stroke like symptoms, so while surgery needed to be done it was not an emergency. I took him to the operating room the following day and performed a craniotomy to remove the hematoma. The surgery was straightforward and was without complication.

Postoperatively, I called into the recovery room to check on David. The nurse told me he was fine neurologically. He was awake, talking, actually screaming at the nurses, and he was moving his arms and legs well, actually thrashing about and throwing some punches at the nurses, as he yelled for them to leave him alone. I reassured her that was his usual behavior.

The next day, I went to see him in the ICU. As I stood at the entrance to his room, he looked identical to the first day I saw him. Still unshaven and disheveled with that angry look on his face. I asked him how he was. He said, ‘OK’. I figured I would try to inject some levity into the situation so I asked him, ‘Did the surgery change your disposition any?’ He replied bluntly, ‘No’. I told him his post-op CT scan looked good and I turned and walked away.

As a human being, the tendency is to want to walk away from the difficult situations, the difficult patients. And at times I am no different than anyone else. But it is specifically at these times we must force ourselves to face them, not with a stern, confrontational attitude but with both our mind and arms open, even if figuratively, with loving acceptance. Angela, David’s nurse reminded me of this.

On Friday of that week I was on my way to my satellite office in Spring Hill when it occurred to me I really should stop by and see David when I returned from seeing my patients that day. Not just to check on him but to sit down by his bedside and talk to him. Truly I had not treated him the way he deserved, as a patient who was very ill and in need of more than what my surgical hands could deliver.

As I walked into his room that afternoon, there was something distinctly different about him. At first I wasn’t sure what is was, but as I sat down I realized he actually was almost smiling. Angela asked if I noticed anything different about him. Immediately it occurred to me she had helped him shave and she had bathed him. She walked over to the opposite side of his bed and picked up his right hand with both of hers and proceeded to speak aloud, almost rhetorically.  ‘You know he has some trust issues’ she said as David nodded in agreement. ‘But we understand each other now and he knows the importance of being respectful and kind and not being overly demanding’, she continued.

I sat there in silence…and amazement at the transformation that had come over David. All because Angela had been kind to him first. At first she was turned off by his attitude too, but she realized that his apparent anger was probably a manifestation of some emotional hurt or insecurity deep down. She was right.

All it took was for her to set aside her feelings and ‘turn the other cheek’ as it were. As soon as David realized she was not there to confront him but to comfort him, he began to trust her. Thus, she reminded me how much more we can help others by thinking of them first, rather than ourselves. (This of course does not pertain only to patients but our family and friends too).

Luke 6:27-31

Part 2. Life After Death...Life After Life

 

Tom certainly did not want to die, and Marianne definitely did not want God to take him from her either, but they both trusted in God’s plan, no matter what the ‘earthly’ outcome would be. They truly understood the meaning of the words of St. Paul to the Romans, that it is God, not us, who is in control and that “…in everything God works for the good with those who love him, who are called to his purpose.” And perhaps it is not how Tom lived his life that was an inspiration, although I am certain it was, but more importantly it was how he lived it while he was dying that deeply affected mine. You see I truly believe that all things happen for a reason and while we may not understand nor see the purpose behind all that happen to us, we must have faith and trust in God’s plan for us. There is good in everything. This is a bold statement and one that many would scoff at, and perhaps even think is crazy. But that’s the thing about faith, it doesn’t make sense…it doesn’t have to.

God put us on earth to enjoy His creation and for us to be happy. But in reality, even if we live to be 100 years old, and most of us will not, that time is minuscule in relation to eternity. We spend so much time trying to keep ourselves looking young and accumulating possessions and when we die, none of it, is coming with us.

Why is it that so many people try to keep a ‘death grip’ on their life in this world? Perhaps it is reflected in the lyrics to the blues song sung by Coco Montoya, ‘…Ya know I hate to leave this old world, cause I don’t know what the next one is all about’. This phenomenon however is not confined only to nonbelievers, but the faithful as well. I suspect it is because as human beings living everyday in this world we are easily distracted into thinking that our appearance and worldly possessions actually matter. After all we are weak and frail, emotionally and sometimes spiritually, and often need to boost our physical self to feel happy. There is nothing inherently wrong with this as long as we remember what is most important to us long term, and I mean ‘long term’! Personally, I am guilty of this as well. Quite a few years back when I was single and had few responsibilities, I used to work out regularly in the gym, lifting weights. Three or four times a week, for at least 2 - 3 hours at time, I trained intensely. Often, during my work out it would occur to me…I spend so much time and effort focusing on my physical health, that if I spent a fraction of this time on my spiritual life, how much better a person I would be and how much closer to God could I be! But that thought, though it frequently recurred in my mind, would dissipate almost as quickly as I moved on to my next set. It would only be years later when an injury sidelined my weight training that I would finally start doing my ‘spiritual reps’.

But I digress….Assume that through the scientific method and intensive research using our (God-given) intellectual power we discover the fountain of youth. Thus ends all illness and disease. No more cancer, no more lives stripped of their vitality by the ravages of Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s disease, no more tragic deaths of mothers and young children. Our physical beings live forever or at least for a long, long, long time. Then what? I am not saying we should not try to find cures but I believe all life is sacred both from a philosophical and Christian perspective. So do we indirectly or directly promote the death of one being for another? How do you make that choice? How can you? And to what end?

Glioblastoma multiforme is a monster of a brain tumor. For years it has proved to be a stronger and better adversary than anything we have used to kill it. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. If we have been able use something successfully to treat it, it mutates into something resistant and more aggressive. I have even ‘completely’ resected this tumor as evidenced by MRI scan, only to see it grow back, twice the size in less than 30 days! Recently, significant strides have been made in chemotherapy that has been hugely successful, even if on a relative scale. (See post of January 16, 2010: Humility and a Malignant Brain Tumor). And one day I pray we find a cure, although I suspect we will always have death to face at some point.

It will be at that point that our true character will finally be revealed. Will we be afraid because we don’t know what the next world is all about or will we embrace it because we trust in Jesus’ promise of an everlasting life with Him.

A while back when my wife and I were in the process of adopting our daughter we met a couple like us, Mark and Karen, also looking forward to becoming united with their adopted daughter from China. He was an ophthalmologist. And it is quite interesting to me how many ophthalmologists I have met that are deeply committed Christians. Perhaps it has something to do with the realization that the ‘eyes’ truly ‘are the window to the soul’. Anyway, he told me of a story of a colleague, a friend of his that had a malignant brain tumor and he had exhausted all forms of treatment, and had death staring him squarely in the eyes. Mark asked him how he felt, was he afraid? And this other physician looked at him and said no. In fact he was excited! He was finally going to meet his creator and spend all eternity with him. “It’s going to be an awesome journey”.

Our life here on earth is far from inconsequential but it is in the way that we live that life that we will be judged by those we leave behind and by God in heaven.

Is it Necessary to find a Cure for every Illness and Disease? (Part 1)

“We know that in everything God works for the good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Tom and Marianne Tremain immediately impressed me as wonderful people. Despite his diagnosis of a glioblastoma multiforme, or the most malignant form of brain cancer, they were at peace. While they both believed steadfastly in the power of prayer, they also believed that God bestowed intelligence and skill to Tom’s doctors, and that it was God’s will that they make use of these God-given talents. It truly was their belief that how else would God work His miracles but through the hands of these many men and women.

I had my first contact with Tom and Marianne in May of 2007. He had presented to the emergency room with some difficulty getting his words out when he tried to speak. His MRI scan revealed a large tumor in the frontal area of the left side of his brain. I performed surgery within a few days of his admission and all went well. Following surgery, his speech was actually improved and the post-op MRI revealed I had resected the majority of the visible tumor, although there was a suggestion the tumor may have had the early beginnings of growth towards the right across a pathway of fibers that connected left and right halves of the brain.

Nonetheless, Tom and Marianne were certain that God would take care of them. Mind you, they did not necessarily believe that Tom would be miraculously cured but that had not given up hope, either.

Tom begun his radiation treatments and chemotherapy and was tolerating them well. In October, he had a routine follow-up MRI which revealed a mass in the area of his surgery which the neuro-oncologist thought could represent either excessive cell death from the radiation (radiation necrosis) or recurrence of the tumor. I saw them back in my office one month later with another follow-up MRI, and as I reviewed the images with Tom and Marianne, it was clear the tumor had come back as this mass had increased an additional 30% in size, in that one month’s time. And for sure, the tumor had begun to spread towards the right half of his brain.

I discussed with them the options, including a second operation. Somewhat apologetically, I told them that if they opted for surgery that I knew I would not be able to remove the entire tumor. Marianne quickly brushed my caveat aside, telling me, “Well, that still does not mean that you are not doing God’s work”. I nodded affirmatively, and told her that I would pray for myself that God would guide my mind and hands to do the best job that was possible. She then said, “I know you will, and we will be praying for you too”.

Surgery went well, and Tom was without any speech difficulty or weakness afterwards and left the hospital within five days. When I saw them back in the office for a postoperative check in January of 2008, Tom had resumed chemotherapy and was doing fine. Marianne told me they had contacted the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas and were hopeful Tom might be enrolled in an experimental chemotherapy protocol there. Unfortunately, Tom never did make it to Houston, as he died in July of that year.

Facing the possibility of dying terrifies most people I treat. It is certainly understandable, particularly when the patient is a 32 year old woman with two small children. But even patients that I have treated that are elderly, and have lived a full life don’t want to die.

In fact many people don’t even want to get old let alone die. Annual expenditures in the United States for plastic surgery procedures exceed $8 billion dollars, and the amount that is spent on all anti-aging products and services exceeds $70 billion dollars.

Stem cell research and nanotechnology which is being supported publically and privately has become a leading area of biotechnology that initially was hailed as the only field of research that could find cures for Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and heart disease among others. In reality, the goal of this research has become an attempt to treat what is thought to be the basis of all these diseases, aging itself! It is not science fiction to think we could ultimately bypass the idea that we could ever get sick, at least as we know it.

It is true that God has given us the ability to discover treatments to diseases and even cures but the implications of our knowledge raises many ethical questions. Just because we can, should we? And I have to wonder, in our attempt to play God ourselves, are we just trying to prove scientifically we have (an illusion of) control over aging, disease and death.

…to be continued.

A Rich Man and a Camel

 

Greed…jealousy…anger.

 

These are probably some of life’s most powerful and darkest emotions. They invite evil into our hearts and poison our souls. Sure, one might argue they are merely human feelings but have any other ‘feelings’ caused the ruin of so many lives.

 

As human beings we are weak and frail both physically and spiritually. We get sick; we contract illnesses, diseases, and develop tumors that destroy us from the inside out. But these sinful emotions, like the physical diseases I treat, can eat at us spiritually, also from the inside out and if left unfettered can kill us too. The object of our desire doesn’t have to be just money either. It could be the need for importance or the need to be in control, which may start out as innocent human emotions but taken to their passionate extreme can morph into idolatry and demonic obsession. How can these be simply ‘human feelings’?

 

The irony is that we have so much to be thankful for…our health, our ability to walk upright on two legs and reach out and grasp what we need, but we are not always satisfied with that…we want more.

 

Which brings me to Joseph Spera. He was a patient whom I came to care for right about the same time as Michael Santini. While Michael was an outgoing and talkative guy, Joseph was quiet and introverted, and very sadly had been bedridden for many months because of an unexplained paralysis in both of his arms and legs.

 

Prior to being admitted to Mease Hospital, Joseph had severe weakness in both of his legs and could not walk, but the strength in his arms was strong enough that he could hold himself up on the parallel bars at physical therapy.

 

On the previous Friday, inexplicably, he developed the sudden onset of complete paralysis of his right (dominant) arm. After I examined him and reviewed his x-rays and MRI scan of his cervical spine, I told him I wasn’t sure if I could help him, in fact I told him, “I seriously doubt it”. There were however, some bone spurs in his neck putting pressure on the nerves going to his right arm and so it was possible, I thought, that removing them might help Joseph gain some strength back. As I looked into his eyes which were desperately trying to grasp any glimmer of hope, I once again was moved with pity.   

 

Unlike most of our desires, all Joseph wanted was to get the use of his right arm back. He didn’t even care if he ever got to walk again. Sure, that would be great but if he could just use his right hand again that would be good enough! How many of us could say that. We seem to be more concerned about money, power, excitement and pleasure. All Joseph wanted was to be able to feed himself again.

 

So, after much thought, weighing the possible risks and benefits, I decided to take Joseph to surgery in the hopes that it would help. After all he did have some arm pain which likely would be lessened by removing the bone spurs. From a technical standpoint, the surgery was a success, although immediately after surgery Joseph’s right arm was still paralyzed and it remained so at the time of his discharge four days later. But he was encouraged because he was accepted for inpatient physical therapy at a rehabilitation hospital that for some unknown reason, had previously denied him admission.

 

Unlike Michael who was boisterous and loud, each day I saw Joseph on my afternoon rounds, he was quiet and hopeful. When I visited with Joseph on the day of his discharge, he said to me, “I am ready to get on with it” (his therapy), and he hoped with a lot of hard work he would regain his strength. I wished him well, grasped his hand and told him I would pray for him. He thanked me and I turned and walked out the door.

 

Joseph’s condition was a poignant reminder to me that we truly have so much to be grateful for, most of which we often take for granted. Our life, our family, our God-given talents. Any of which could be taken from us without any warning. So often we put our selfish desires between us and the ones that matter the most. We become obsessed with having whatever our body desires, food, alcohol, sex and my personal favorite, always wanting to be right! And in becoming slaves to our human ‘needs’ we make it impossible to be close to our God who gave everything to us in the first place.

 

Saint Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans: ‘More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope’ (Romans 5:3-4).

 

I read a story once about a man who was a coffee connoisseur. He had to have the best coffee beans, the best coffee grinder and coffee maker to achieve the perfect cup of coffee. While wanting a good cup of coffee is no sin he used the story as a metaphor of all the things we become preoccupied with, that taken together can reach such a critical mass that in the end serves only to erect a wall between us and our Creator. Luke 18:25.