The date was February 15, 1921, the place was the Kane Summit Hospital and the surgeon was Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane. Within his distinguished 31 year career, He had performed over 4,000 appendectomies and saw a way to improve the process—local anesthesia. Although many physicians agreed, the idea needed to be tested. So, Dr. Kane found himself a volunteer. The volunteer’s surgery was very unusual. Not only was local anesthetic successfully administered, but also the patient just so happened to be the surgeon. Dr. Kane had set up a series of mirrors and performed the surgery on himself so that he could experience the surgery from the patient’s perspective. He went to these great lengths to instill confidence in his future patients.

As believers, we have a great physician who went even further than that to prove to us that we can rely on Him. Often, when we are in the midst of a great trial, we feel that our Savior no longer cares for us and that He doesn’t fully understand our suffering. How easily we forget that Christ came from Heaven’s throne to dwell among us as a humble man. In doing so, He experienced temptation, mockery, pain, betrayal and ultimately death.

Through His suffering on the cross, He showcased the most powerful grace ever displayed. The Spotless Lamb of God became the darkest sin to rescue our souls. The spiritual and physical pain He bore serves as an example to us. If we want to become more like Christ through our suffering, we must rely upon Him to see us through.