DIY

The DIY craze has completely taken over America. Got a problem with your pipes freezing? (I did recently). DIY. Want to install a fountain in your garden? DIY. Figure out how to put in a new water pump on your car? DIY. Cut your hair so you look like Jennifer Aniston? DIY. Heating and ventilating ... personal finance ... decorating ... going green ... learning Spanish? All DIY --- Do-It-Yourself.

Thanks primarily to the internet, here's the newest trend in the whole DIY phenomenon ... DIY Doctors. What do you do when you have a cough that won't go away? What do you do when you find an odd lump in a place where you shouldn't be lumpy? DIY diagnosis.

It is the biggest trend in American health care right now ... researching your own symptoms ... diagnosing your own illnesses ... administering your own cures. Americans are flocking to complementary and alternative medicines like acupuncturists, chiropractic and massage therapies in record numbers.

There are some obvious REASONS for this: Co-pays and charges for doctor's office visits more than doubled in the past two years ... a generation raised on the internet has grown increasingly distrustful of the 'establishment,' including doctors.

I guess there is ONE good thing about all this. I can't sue myself if I diagnose incorrectly, can I?

Here's the question: If I consult the 'how-to' book when I need to know how to cut a mitre joint ... if i consult the internet to figure out how to make my dog obey ... then why don't I check out the Bible when I worry too much or find myself in a financial straightjacket or can't stop gossiping or am having problems coveting something my neighbor owns.

God has left us the greatest Do-It-Yourself Handbook known to man, except that you never really have to worry about 'doing it' on your own. He promises help. So ... time to dust it off and find out 'how-to' live.

And be blessed.