Gifted Hands

A well-respected friend told me about one of her favorite books, "Gifted Hands - The Ben Carson story",  and I could immediately tell it was going on my "have-to read" list.  

I got it the next day and LOVED it!

I take notes from books and keep them in a set-aside section of my journal.  Here are a few of my take-aways from "Gifted Hands".  But really I could have written much more and your "take-aways" may be different, so go check it out or buy it, (after reading it I bought two copies on ebay for $1 each - one to loan out and one to give away).  Also, there was a movie made starring Cuba Gooding Jr.  I haven't seen it yet, but I'm planning on getting it.  Another friend said it's great for kids also.

 The back of the book summarizes it best.  Gifted Hands is an, "inspiring story of an inner-city kid with poor grades and little motivation, who, at age thirty-three, became director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.  Gifted Hands will transplace you into the operating room to witness surgeries that made headlines around the world, and into the private mind of a compassionate, God-fearing physician who lives to help others.    In 1987, Dr Carson gained worldwide recognition for his part in the first successful separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of the head - an extremely complex and delicate operation that was five months of planning and twenty-two hours of actual surgery, involving a surgical plan that Carson helped initiate.  Gifted Hands reveals a man with humility, decency, compassion, courage, and sensitivity who serves as a role model for young people (and everyone else) in need of encouragement to attempt the seemingly impossible and to excel in whatever they attempt.  Dr. Carson also describes the key role that his highly intelligent though relatively uneducated mother played in his metamorphosis from an unmotivated ghetto youngster to one of the most respected neurosurgeons in the world."

There were many parts of this book that were so inspiring, motivating, and absolute miracles!  Ben Carson's challenges were real and sometimes looked insurmountable, but through his efforts, his faith, and God's hand in his life, each time he championed whatever was before him.  There were several examples of him while growing up learning to take responsibility for his choices and his future.  One example was from while he was in the ninth grade, he realized through a few "close calls" how much of a problem he had with his temper.  As misery engulfed him (immediately following one of the worst incidents) in his bathroom and turned to God.  Reading his Bible the words from Proverbs 16:32 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he takes a city.  He says, "During those hours alone in the bathroom, something happened to me.  God heard my deep cries of anguish.  A feeling of lightness flowed over me and I knew a change of heart had taken place.  I felt different.  I was different."  During those hours in the bathroom he realized that if people could make him angry they could control me.  Why give someone else such power?  He walked out of the bathroom a changed young man.  "My temper will never control me again," he told himself.  "Never again.  I'm free."  From that day, at age 14, his faith in God has been intensely personal and an important part of who he is.

One of my favorite experiences that he shared was while at Yale, he was failing a chemistry class.  To make a long story short...he realizes that he is going to fail and in complete desperation he begins  praying, "begging, clinging to Him.  Either help me understand what kind of work I ought to do (referring to something else besides being a doctor), or else perform some kind of miracle and help me to pass this exam."  From that  moment on he felt peace.  He had no answer, but felt like everything was going to be alright.  He had one glimmer of hope, that the professor had a rule that if failing students did well on the final he would throw out most of the semester work and let the good final-test score count heavily toward the final grade.  So most of the night he tries memorizing formulas and equations that might help, until complete exhaustion sets in and he falls asleep.  While he slept he dreamt he was sitting inthe chemistry lecture hall, and a person walks in and begins working out chemistry problems on the board.  He took notes of everything he wrote.  When he woke in the morning, he recalled most of the problems and hurriedly wrote them down before they faded from memory.  He leaves and heads to the lecture hall numb from intensive cramming and despair.  The professor handed out the exam booklets ,  Carson hurriedly skimmed it and laughed silently, confirming what he suddenly knew.  The exam problems were identical to those written by the shadowy figure in his brain.  He knew almost every answer and wrote them as quickly as possible.  "God, you pulled off a miracle, " Carson told Him as he left the classroom. "And I make a promise to You that I will never put you in that situation again.  It's clear to me that you want me to be a doctor.  I'm going to do everything within my power to be one.  I'm going to learn to study and never put you in that situation again." He says, "after that experience, I had no doubt that I would be a physician.  I also had the sense that God not only wanted me to be a physician, but that He had special things for me to do.  I'm not sure people always understand when I say that, but I had an inner certainty that I was on the right path in my life - the path God had chosen for me.  Great things were going to happen in my life, and I had to do my part in preparing myself and being ready." When the final scores came out, Carson scored 97.

I love how humble  Ben Carson is.  He doesn't take credit for all his training and talent.  Rather he credits God.  He recognized his divine gift of extraordinary hand and eye coordination, an invaluable asset in surgery.  He says, "God gives us all gifts, special abilities that we have the privilege of developing to help us serve Him and humanity."

It's so fascinating to watch the details of Ben Carson's life unfold.  His love of classical music helped draw him towards the woman he marries and helped him get into one of the best neurosurgery programs in the world.  Talking about knowledge and all things working together for our good, he says, "when we work hard to acquire expertise or understanding in any field, it pays off.  I also believe that God has an overall plan for people's lives and the details get worked out along the way, even though we usually have no idea what's going on."

The BEST part of this book, the part that gives me goose bumps and makes large tears stream down my cheeks is the last third.  The stories of the children and families whose lives he changes are amazing.  They are faith promoting and absolute miracles.  Not every child survives.  But the faith these people have.  The desperation in getting help and solutions is heart-breaking and inspiring.  Many times, although extremely bright and well-qualified, he would turn his hands over to God.  He would ask God if He wanted this child to live to please work a miracle through his "gifted hands."  I read most of this to Tyler and any kids that were listening :) in the car ride home from Ripon, they too were touched.

He closes the book with his THINK BIG philosophy, that he shares with teens.

T-TALENT.  Learn to recognize and accept your God-given talents (and we all have them).  Develop those talents and use them in the career you choose.  T also = TIME.  Learn the importance of time.  When you are on time, people can depend on you.  You prove your trustworthiness.  Learn to not waste time, because time is money and effort.  Time usage is also a talent. 

H = HOPE.  Don't go around with a long face, expecting something bad to happen.  Anticpate good things; watch for them.  H also = HONESTY.  Speaking the truth each time makes life amazingly simple. 

I=INSIGHT.  Listen and learn from people who have already been where you want to go.  Benefit from their mistackes instead of repeating them.  Read good books like the Bible beause they open up new worlds of understanding.

N = NICE.  Be nice to people, all people.  Being kind, friendly, and helpful takes less time and energy.

K = KNOWLEDGE.  It is the key to independent living, the key to all your dreams, hopes, and aspirations.  If you are knowledgeable, particularly more knowledgeable than anyone else in a field, you become invaluable and write your own ticket. 

B = BOOKS.  Active learning from reading is better than passive learning such as listening to lectures or watching TV.  When you read, your mind must take in letters and connect them to form worsd.  Words make themselves into thoughts and concepts.

I = IN-DEPTH LEARNING.  Superficial learners cram for exams but know nothing two weeks later.  In-depth learners find that the aquired knowledge becomes part of them.  They understand more about themselves and their world. 

G = GOD.  Never get too big for God.  Never drop God out of your life.

I love his closing words.  He says, "to think big and use our talents doesn't mean we won't have difficulties along the way.  We will - we all do.  How we view those problems determine how we will end up.  If we choose to see the obstacles in our path as barriers, we stop trying.  However, if we choose to see the obstacles as hurdles, we can leap over them.  Successful people don't have fewer problems.  They have determined that nothing will stop them from going forward.  Whatever direction we choose, if we can realize that every hurdle we jump strengthens and prepares us for the next one,  we're already on the way to success."