Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity, when I give I give myself. Walt Whitman

Sometimes in this column, I express out-of-the-box concepts that can rankle, even cause some to openly be critical of who I am and what I represent.

One such example came recently when I lauded the healthcare system in Cuba. Even when called a communist for writing that piece, I sensed no personal pain or regret. If all medical services in Cuba are offered free to the public, students pay zero for their medical education, and the ratio of doctors to the overall population is half what it is in the United States, maybe they are doing something right.

This column will delve into another, possibly even more controversial topic.

Fully aware that the name God no longer can be spoken within 1,000 feet of a public school, I turn to the freedom of the press privilege that I hope never will be taken away.

I have a close friend near to my heart who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis eight years ago. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that, by human standards, is little understood and incurable.

My friend walks with a cane on occasions, has multiple scars and abrasions from repeated times she has fallen, and through it all maintains a beautiful spirit of hope and joy. She is a firm believer in Christ and knows, if He chooses, that He can heal her at any second. But she has no qualms about whether or not He will do so in this lifetime.

Shes read clear through the black book thats been labeled taboo in public schools because the rights of believers of the Koran and the rights of homosexuals must be given equal play in the United States of America. And, as a believer who knows how that book describes the end-times, my friend has chosen to accept what comes, having no doubt that paradise, if not already here, is just around the corner.

A top quality athlete and runner before being set back by her illness, my friend already is in serious dialogue with the Lord about the possibility of becoming a Gold Medal 800-meter runner when she reaches heaven.

Her spirit is free and contagious. She possesses the innate ability to flash into gales of laughter with no provocation. Take the other night, for instance. Hard to believe, but she says I make her laugh. While walking into the living room with a banana milkshake in each hand a physical endeavor few people with eight years of multiple sclerosis under their belt ever will attempt she saw me, began laughing, and plunged into a twirling fall that literally spewed banana shake all over Dads favorite chair, a cluttered coffee table, the rug, my friend, and me.

And it truly was a funny occasion.

Those who might miss the humor in such an incident totally miss the beauty of who she is. The absolute last thing she would want would be for others to feel sorry for her because of this, by human standards, incurable disease she has.

Shes read the book of truth and knows, not thinks but knows that a 100 percent cure is on the horizon. Period; done deal.

Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall ye do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12.

Keep on laughing and believing, my friend!!!

Chieftain staff member Rocky Wilson was raised in Wallowa.