My faith in God has never been shaken or diminished despite all the trials and tribulations I have endured throughout my life. Nor has it wavered in the face of the many challenges I encountered during three decades of practicing cardiac surgery. I felt secure in my belief that the Almighty was always there guiding me along the way in my personal life and career.
To me, there is no conflict between faith and science. With an open mind and an open heart, one can use the microscope of reason to dissect the relationship between them and recognize that the two are not in conflict.
In fact, I found that my faith and my work complemented and strengthened one another. As I watched my patients manifest and benefit from the miracle of healing, my faith grew deeper and more resilient. Blessed with this bolder confidence, perhaps a psychological boost, I felt my surgical skills were sharpened as well.
A prayer in silence always preceded my surgeries. As the operation progressed, soft, light classical music permeated the room. When it was time to revive and restart the heart, which I had stopped during the procedure, Celine Dion’s Titanic theme song “My Heart Will Go On” would play, echoing my silent prayer for the heart to beat again. This phase of the procedure is always a crucial event in open-heart surgery, a moment when my faith abides by the final decision of the Almighty, and I rely fully on His sacred blessings.
One’s faith goes beyond the career. Living the tough daily struggle requires the blessings of strength and inspiration from faith. While I deeply respect atheists and those who do not believe in a Supreme Force ruling the universe, I wonder if they feel total helplessness when a major calamity devastates their lives. Who do they cling to, besides themselves, alone in the wilderness of life?
Life is fragile
When disaster strikes, each of us faces the profound fragility of life. For believers, we turn to family, prayers, and friends, and find solace in the belief in a benevolent higher power and an afterlife. For the non-religious, the internal and external landscape of grief is entirely secular. They navigate the profound suffering through the lenses of existential reality, human connection, and the pursuit of tangible meaning.
I prefer to rely on a powerful anchor: my faith. It is something I carry with me as I navigate the turbulent sea of life alongside my family and friends, ready to stabilize my lifeboat wherever I anchor. I consider myself a certified coward, which is exactly why I need a strong anchor in my life.
Mental trauma
The recent derecho storm system that spawned several tornadoes and devastated the Midwest on August 11, 2026, left my home in Munster, Indiana, completely unlivable. During the storm, a massive tree from the neighbor’s yard crashed onto my roof, while peak winds of 121 mph tore away my gutters and destroyed the fences on both sides of the property, leaving our garden in ruins. The impact severely fractured the Ludowici clay tile roof, triggering leaks that ruined our carpet in multiple rooms.
Compounding the disaster, the storm knocked out our electricity for 10 days; without power, the sump pump failed, completely flooding the basement for days. Giant trees were uprooted in many areas of the neighborhood, blocking the streets. Because the massive power outage forced all local hotels and restaurants to close, we had to drive to the next town, Harvey, Illinois, to find a hotel to stay in.
On the same day, a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Western Colombia with 132 deaths and hundreds injured. A week or so before, there were widespread floods, landslides, and severe storms in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
We are no match for the power of Mother Nature. We must stop abusing our environment and start respecting it. The more we damage our world, the greater the natural catastrophe that will haunt us. Let us live in harmony with our surroundings, helping the environment flourish and remain healthy. Ultimately, it is for our own good and survival.
My family and I were deeply saddened and overwhelmed. But we never questioned why God directed the tornado our way; instead, we focused on our gratitude that none of us was harmed. Far more tragic, however, is the relentless cycle of storms and devastation in our native land, the Philippines, which leaves thousands homeless and claims countless lives every single year.
Blessing in disguise
To me, who is an eternal optimist, there is always a silver lining after dark clouds hover over us, like a beautiful rainbow that follows rain, a blessing in disguise.
I hope this is the trial of my phoenix, and that we shall recover, even more refined. Of course, our homeowner’s insurance does not and cannot pay for the sadness, pain, and severe inconvenience this disaster has brought us. But in my thought process, I feel positive and somewhat joyful about the outcome which I can already foresee.
Storms in our lives usually bring out the goodness and compassion in most people. Our neighbors on either side of the fence were wonderfully caring people; despite being victims themselves, they still offered us and others their help. To me, they are truly God’s people.
Compartmentalizing my thoughts and focusing on the silver lining of this painful experience, I keep telling myself that, after all the massive reconstruction and big heartaches, I will have the blessing of an upgraded, remodeled home, with some help from our Homeowner’s Insurance. I would like to think the tornado God has directed my way was really some blessing disguised as a disaster!
The common saying that “God works in mysterious ways” is profoundly true. Now I know why He directed the tornado toward my home. He wants me to realize the dream I had a couple of years ago to remodel it. He just took a roundabout way of doing it!
I feel truly blessed, which is why I might be sporting a smile when you see me standing in front of my severely damaged home, not a frown on my face.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, and astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States.
