Fred Smith, Sr. was a real American one-off. Son of a pastor, survivor of America’s Great Depression, respected corporate leader and one of the Christian community’s earliest and memorable leadership experts. Fred was truly unique. He was in his 60s when we met; I was in my early 20s. He planted a nugget of truth into my strategic consciousness – 50 years ago – that still resonates, today. Here’s the essence: do you know the difference between a problem, and a fact of life?

When Fred was a small boy, he was carrying a Mason jar – always glass, used in the old days for home canning – when he tripped and fell. The jar broke, and the glass shattered in his hand, cutting into his palm and severing tendons critical for function. A country doc botched the first-aid and for the rest of his life, Fred’s dominant hand was not functional.

After speaking at an event, a woman approached him to offer her compliments for his talk, and for his history of achievement in business and faith. She gushed as she said, “It’s remarkable what you have accomplished, in spite of your problem.”

Smith’s response was focused: “What problem are you referring to?” She blushed as she said,

“Well, your hand…”

“Young woman: my hand is not my problem; it’s a fact of life. A fact of life is something you accept and accommodate; a problem is something you resolve to correct.” Conversation: over.

Three years ago, 2022 started – for me – in a physical funk. My vitality had disappeared; something was up. My primary care doc ran blood tests; they came back with 18 abnormalities. His reaction was appropriate: “This is above my paygrade; you need to see a specialist.” Within hours, I was admitted to our local hospital – on the cancer floor – and the tests began.

The Chief of Oncology conducted my bone marrow biopsy with his assurance that he’d do his best to mitigate the pain level. The results were back the next day: his diagnosis was CML – Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Based on that diagnosis, he arranged an appointment for me with a hematologist, five weeks hence. I was in a waiting mode.

Two weeks later, my health had plummeted. Cheri took me to another hospital’s emergency room; I was admitted with double pneumonia, extreme anemia and a collection of other symptoms that slated me for immediate care. Five days later, I was transported to the City of Hope where another bone marrow biopsy was performed. They dug deeper – with more discomfort for me – to get their sample. The results were more alarming than the first: AML – Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

What’s the difference between Chronic and Acute? In patient – not doctor – terms: With Chronic, you’ll die someday with it, not from it; manage care with pharmaceuticals and adjust. With Acute: get immediate intervention and you’ll have a chance at surviving; delay – even five weeks – may cost your life. My initial diagnosis was off; my subsequent “second opinion” saved my life.

In Fred Smith’s jargon, Chronic is a fact of life; Acute is a problem. With Chronic, you adjust to your new reality and push on. With Acute, you prioritize your pursuit of specialty assistance with the hope to beat the odds and end up on the best side of the statistics.

I’ve found that the issues in my spiritual life – often leading to my always-morphing “prayer list” – warrant the same clarity of categorization. Jesus was shooting straight when He told His guys what they could expect:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” — John 16:33

Here’s what I’ve learned from Fred and from Jesus: living as a follower of Jesus in a fallen world will never remove trouble from my life experience. Praying for all troubles to be removed – or, to ignorantly espouse a “health and wealth” expectation that would allow me a life without challenge – will never be a reasonable paradigm. “In this world, you will have trouble.” Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat it.

My life, today: pray for perseverance regarding the facts-of-life that are Chronic. Pray for victory in addressing the problems that could be threats to my Kingdom pursuits. 

Today: what’s on your prayer list? Are you clear about the distinction between the Chronic circumstances that will continue until you finish and the Acute issues that need appropriate intervention?

Bob Shank

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