A NEW FACE

Today, a new face is immediately thought to mean "a face lift," which is so common among media people that we expect it. It's part of the facade. It's not a bad thing, the camera can be harsh, but it does perpetuate an illusion that a career, a political office, an empire can be eternal. This means, the thinking person is continually called to make a judgment between what is temporary and what will last.

Since we never watch "the President's back pocket" called NBC Network, by chance, we came across a program there called "A Face in the Crowd," which I recommend anyone to watch on your computer. It is the real life story of the world's first complete FACE TRANSPLANT.  Yes, I did say face transplant.  We followed this gripping story from the first day when a young man who loves hunting had an accident that blew off his face from his eyes down. After several years of surgical attempts to do "something" the young man withdrew from society, became a recluse and considered life over for him. He only went out with a "bandit scarf" over his face from the eyes down, which was problematic and only further destroyed his quality of life.

Meanwhile, the Rodriguez family escaped from Cuba to America, determined to give their children a chance at life. Everything came hard for them, and one of their sons, Eduardo determined to make his life count in medicine. He became a surgeon, and through what he calls "a miracle," (in the Biblical sense), he agreed to attempt a complete face transplant, that would help the military men and women who are coming home with varying degrees of facial deformities. A total transplant had never been done! The chance of success was 50/50. The chance the recepient would die was 50/50. The search went out for a doner (who would have to die to donate his face) and at the same time be a perfect match (in every respect)  with the recepient who needed the face!

 Years went by, medical teams assembled and waited, then one day the perfect match came together.
Watch the story and see the unfolding miracle. Knowing the risk, Richard Norris, now 38 years old immediately responded, saying if he did not live others might;  the parents of the young man who had just been killed said "yes, this is what their son would want,"  and Dr. Rodriguez laid everything on the line, prayed and went to work. 33 hours later, exhausted, the teams fixed their eyes on their unconscious patient. Would the nerves connect? Would the blood flow into the transplant. They waited, and gradually the new face of Richard Norris began to turn pink, beginning with his lips.

"There was not a dry eye in the place," said Dr. Rodriguez. "I was scared. It was a miracle."

When asked why he called it a miracle the doctor replied, "Because the number of intricate details that had to come together for this to happen were beyond human."

Today it is popular to diminish the possibility of God. Atheists are considered too intellectual for faith. The Judeo-Christian Bible is looked upon as archaic and irrelevant, although it is the most verified ancient manuscript in existence (having over 23,000 pieces of extant manuscript. No other writings even come close.) Christians are being massacred in many parts of the world because of their faith, and they are being pushed out of the Marketplace in the arrogant Western World, because they are so intellectually inferior.

Consider this: The world's first complete facial transplant were led by a Christian doctor who risked everything, two Christian families who gave everything, and a Christian recepient who was willing to risk his life to help others. 

 As I watched this story, I heard the following:  " A new face for the soul is what God wants to give every person who has been marred by the tragedies of life, all who will surrender for the spiritual transplant can be made handsome/ beautiful by His touch for eternity!"

Mona Johnian