Faith & Healing: Dr. Lily White's Journey to Purpose | The Rooted in Christ Podcast Ep. 218

[2 Speakers Detected] [Total Utterances: 72]

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[0:00 -> 0:22] Speaker 1: God says, seek me. So he respects, like, he respects us coming to him with questions. Like, we're, we're. We're allowed to ask questions and be uncertain. Like, God welcomes that. And I even encourage. I've had friends, we have similar conversations, and I'm like, ask God your questions. He will answer and answer you clearly. And, like, don't be afraid to ask.

[0:28 -> 0:38] Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Rooted in Christ podcast. My name is Eric Stephens of Redwood Christian Ministries. With me on the show today, we have the doctor in the house, Lily white sister. How are you doing?

[0:38 -> 0:41] Speaker 1: Doing great. Thank you. Yeah, thanks for having me.

[0:41 -> 0:55] Speaker 2: Thank you for being on here. God put it in my heart. Was it a year ago now? At this point, maybe even longer? I walked you to the sound booth and I said, I really. Whenever you're ready, if you're open to it, I'd love to have you on my show. I really feel like there's something God wants us to do, and here we are.

[0:55 -> 0:57] Speaker 1: Right. God is perfect in his timing.

[0:58 -> 1:22] Speaker 2: So I want the audience to get a chance to know you and a little more what you do. So we're going to go back a little bit of ways. We're going to go back. So. Because I want to talk about how you got involved in medicine, why you're doing some of the things you're doing, but you experience your own healing through neuropathic medicine when you were about 8 years old. So what did that experience shape your view of health? How did that impact your. Your faith moving forward?

[1:22 -> 2:24] Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so. So when I was around 8, I was diagnosed with. It's called hinoch schonline purpura. It's a type of inflammation of the blood vessels and had all the complications of it, including, like, emergency surgery. I was in and out of the hospital for a year and yeah, just really intense experience. And by the end, towards the end of it, my grandparents actually took me to a naturopathic document and he was able to really help me and had extensive healing. Like, I don't have any sequela or, like, any lasting effects from that illness, which is pretty impressive, really. So, yeah, that was my first experience with another alternative side to medicine and a lot of conventional medicine as well. And that really just shaped my experience that healing, healing is possible. So it really set up my expectation that people can heal when there is illness, even when it seems very intense.

[2:27 -> 2:32] Speaker 2: So for someone who doesn't know what is neuropathic healing, walk us what that means and how it works.

[2:33 -> 2:56] Speaker 1: So when you think of Medicine, there's kind of the traditional doc you go to that insurance covers. They're called an MD or a medical doctor. And then there's a DO doctor of osteopathy. There's something else called ND or naturopathic doctor. So I'm an md I'm the. But it's another kind of more alternative form of medicine that uses a lot of like, herbs to treat people.

[2:57 -> 3:04] Speaker 2: Why do you, in your opinion, why do some people typically maybe shy away from that form of medicine? Form of healing?

[3:05 -> 3:34] Speaker 1: Yeah, it's hard to study with more conventional methods. So doing a randomized controlled trial on like an herb is like, first of all, who's going to pay for that? But also second of all, like, there's just not a lot of people profit or money in that. So the people selling the herbs aren't that expensive for the most part, versus, like a pharmaceutical is very profitable to study and sell. So that's where a lot of the limitations are. But there's a lot of potential there as well.

[3:35 -> 3:38] Speaker 2: Now, did you always want to be a doctor?

[3:39 -> 3:57] Speaker 1: No, definitely not. God has a sense of humor. So after that experience of being ill for about a year, I was like, done with medicine. I didn't want anything to do with medicine at all. But then I just. He kept coming up with it later and later and came around to it.

[3:58 -> 4:03] Speaker 2: So when did you realize that God was actually calling you in a very air that he healed you?

[4:03 -> 4:04] Speaker 1: Like, when did you realize he was

[4:04 -> 4:05] Speaker 2: calling you into medicine?

[4:06 -> 5:56] Speaker 1: Yeah, I. I just. It was kind of interesting because I remember being very young, like third, fourth grade, and they asked us, you know, usually in school they'll say, like, oh, what do you want to be when you grow up? And I didn't have like a good answer at the time. I was looking at the person next to me and they said they wanted to be a marine biologist. So I was like, that sounds good. So I put that down. But. But throughout middle school, high school, I just kept getting drawn back to. Back to the idea of medicine. I had a lot of other interests, so I would get really deep into learning about rocks or manatees or just all sorts of things. But the thing I just kept coming back to as an interest was the relationship with people healing and just the idea of medicine more broadly. So I would say it kind of came about more gradually. And then what really kicked it off was when I was in college, I had a history professor helping me sign up for classes my freshman year. So he didn't. He knew about as Much as I did about signing up for classes freshman year. So he signed me up for this chemistry course that was just supposed to be like, science major. Check it off. I was a math major going in and ended up really loving it. Like, loved chemistry. And then through that, we went on a spring break trip with the chemistry club, which was new at that time, very nerdy. And one of the professors, we called them the chemist, the chemistry dads, they were awesome. And he asked me, we were just walking around the University of Chicago on a tour and he's like, what do you want to do with your life, Lily? And I was like, well, I'm like, kind of interested in medicine, but my family are all engineers. There's no one in medicine. So I don't really have like a way in or a way to see what that looks like. But I keep getting drawn back to it. And he had a friend who was an ER doc who let me shadow. And that's when I really, like, knew this was for me.

[5:57 -> 6:09] Speaker 2: But your journey, like, medical school, like, it wasn't easy. Like, you almost like dropped out like a few times. Walk us through that. And then how did you find like, like, how did God just give you, like, the supernatural strength to go forward?

[6:10 -> 8:26] Speaker 1: Yeah, no, God, like, truly was with me the whole step of the way. I. I don't think I would have become a doctor if he didn't want it to happen. So. Yeah, when I was, when I was in college, I. Yeah, like, just finance wise, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it. He ended up blessing me with. At one point, I was working four jobs to make it through, working over 30 hours. So I ended up making it through college. And then in medical school, I took a. It didn't end up being a break formally on paper, which was just a God thing. I ended up taking a break to be able to care for my mom, who was ill at the time. So I was able to spend a few weeks taking care of her. And through some miracle, the dean was very favorable to me and he helped me make it work within the schedule. So I didn't have this huge blemish on my academic record that would have made it hard to get into residency. But even just taking that break to take care of her, I considered like, okay, is my job actually to take care of her? Do I need to go and go back and finish med school? Because I was in Canada at the time for a few weeks. So yeah, so those were during college and med school. And then during residency, again, I was caregiving and helping out. And, yeah, finances were just very tight. Caring for somebody else on a resident salary. And I. I very much considered, like, there are jobs you can get without having finished residency. You can do some primary care in different areas and make, you know, a doctor's salary. So I was very close to considering dropping out again. And then my. I just. God gave me a champion, and he just got through all of the incredible red tape of the health system I was working for and allowed me to be able to work on the side and moonlight at urgent cares to be able to make ends meet. And that was like, a month away from me, just, like, pulling the cord and being like, I don't think we're going to make this work financially. And that was huge. Like, getting through the red tape of a health system to be able to do that is impressive. So sometimes God just gives us champions.

[8:26 -> 8:43] Speaker 2: And I remember, like, you. You tell him, like, you. You grew up in church, like, you had a relationship with God going into all of this. What was your relationship like around that time? Cause I know you mentioned, like, you almost, like, walked away or you walked away to almost find, like, your own personal relationship. So what. What was your faith like at that time and, like, walk us through what that was like.

[8:44 -> 9:44] Speaker 1: Yeah, so I moved to Cleveland in 2020, and then shortly after that, started caring for my mom, who moved in with me. And. And yeah, I had a relationship with God. I was definitely, definitely close with him. And I prayed throughout. I prayed about becoming a physician, about going to med school. Like, have very vivid memories of spending time with him in those big decisions. But I just knew there was something missing. Like, there was something missing. Like, personally, I just. I knew God as the Holy One. I knew him as kind of a distant, like, Father God, but I didn't know him as, like my father, as lover of my soul. And I just knew there was more there. So I prayed and I said, God, I'm going to take. I'm going to step away from the church that I grew up in and just trust that you will. You will lead me back if that's where I should be, or you'll leave me in a different direction if. If there is another path, but wherever the path is, like, I just want to find you. And that was, like, one of the best decisions I've made.

[9:46 -> 9:58] Speaker 2: So you found new life, church. Where did that role. How did that play a role into. In your walk into your journey? Almost like, I guess a revitalization. How did that. What Role did the church play for you?

[9:58 -> 10:53] Speaker 1: Yeah. So 2020, obviously, Covid, I moved to a new city. Like, there was. There were no churches in the, like, denomination that I grew up in, so I just looked online to find some other options. So I actually watched New Life online for a full year before I attended in person. So that was really. That was really cool. I just remember seeing faith worshiping and, like, just, like, attending via Zoom for a year because you were having some services in person. But, yeah, yeah, I. I didn't feel comfortable going because I was like, I'm literally caring for patients with COVID every day. So I. I just watched online. But then 2021 came. Things seemed a little safer, and I was able to come in. In person. And, yeah, just my first service there, Like, I sat in the back and just wanted to kind of, like, observe and see how it went. And it was just, like, such a powerful move of God. I knew this was my new church home.

[10:54 -> 11:06] Speaker 2: What would you say to somebody who is searching for God right now? I've been saved, gave my life to Christ. But, like, I've just kind of hit, like, bump in the road. Like, I kind of feel like I hit a wall. Like, what would you say to that person?

[11:07 -> 11:31] Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say, like, God says, seek me. So he respects. Like, he respects us coming to him with questions. Like, we're. We're. We're allowed to ask questions and be uncertain. Like, God welcomes that. And I even encourage. I've had friends, we have similar conversations, and I'm like, ask God your questions. He will answer and answer you clearly. And, like, don't be afraid to ask those things.

[11:33 -> 11:41] Speaker 2: So why do you feel like today, like, holistic medicine is so needed? What has really drawn you to this approach? Like, walk. Walk us through that.

[11:41 -> 13:16] Speaker 1: Yeah, for me, it was very much kind of like a best of both worlds approach. So I. When I was planning to go to med school, I. I knew there was the traditional MD route, but then I obviously had that naturopathic experience, so I was like, how do I bring these worlds together? Like, it just seems like there are good things here. Like, they saved my life to some degree, but then the naturopathic medicine allowed me to really live in health, so I. Yeah, God, just actually, I got accepted to med school. And then, like, before I attended, I got an email from them saying there was. I think it was just on their generic email list that there was a conference on integrative medicine. And I was like, I emailed them, and I'm like, I'm not a student yet, but could I come? And they said, yeah. So I went down to Dayton and sat in on this Integrative medicine day. They had one of the big names in there and just realized that people were already doing what I was planning to kind of do myself. They were combining more naturopathic methods with traditional MD or allopathic medicine. So I was like, oh, I don't have to create this from scratch. Like, people are already doing it. Like, there is a best of both worlds approach. Sometimes we need this, sometimes we need that. And I think it's very important to take the benefits of both while understanding the risks of each. And I think doing that from the traditional MD allopathic training has allowed me to do that in a way that feels safe and feels like I'm able to give people the best care that I feel like I can give them at the end of the day.

[13:18 -> 13:41] Speaker 2: I know you talked about too, when, like, seeking him, you know, and obviously you and I've been in the mission field together now, obviously sharing our faith as well. So how have you been able. I know you have your own practice, but have you been able to talk to your clients about Jesus? Have you been able to share? I mean, because you might have some more freedom that other people may not. Like, there's really. They can't tell you what to not say in the place that you are.

[13:42 -> 14:27] Speaker 1: Yeah. Which is such a benefit. I love it. Yeah. Actually, as part of every new patients, like, I go through their history, their medical history from birth till now, we go through, you know, family history, surgical history, but I also ask them their faith history a little bit. So I say, you know, every. Some people are spiritual, some people are religious. Some people are both, some people are neither. Where do you fall? And I just really leave it open to ask people, like, where are you at on your faith journey? And that's. That's a part of every first visit. And it just gives me a good idea of, like, where are they? And obviously I'm not a pastor, but when I can hear they are struggling or they need some support in that area, that is an important part of health. And then I can direct them to the resources that help address that I want to encourage.

[14:27 -> 14:28] Speaker 2: You're definitely shepherding.

[14:28 -> 14:29] Speaker 1: Oh, thanks.

[14:29 -> 14:47] Speaker 2: May not be standing on the pulpit on a Sunday, but you're definitely shepherding. Doesn't always look the same. So what did God put on your heart that maybe you felt was missing in the medical field that you decided to go this route? Did you feel like, man I wish this was somewhere else, but now he's using me to fill this void in this gap.

[14:48 -> 15:41] Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. I think the combination of medicine, but also just so much of medicine has become like an assembly line. Like people coming in and coming out in 5, 10 minutes with their doctor. And that's really a part of any good relationship is time availability, being able to know that person well. And that's really, really what brought me to this form of practice that I have. It allows me to spend time with people, get to know them well. My patients feel like my family. They have my phone number. We spend two hours together initially an hour for follow ups if they need it. So they get in when they're sick. I do stitches, all the things. So it just, yeah, it just feels like we need that relationship piece just in the way that in Christianity we need that relationship piece with Christ. We need that relationship piece with our physician and with the person that's taking care of our health.

[15:43 -> 15:57] Speaker 2: What advice would you give to somebody who's looking to start their own practice? Because like you've, you've been through, like, you're, like you didn't even circle, like there was, I was ready to drop out like this. This was rough. Thank God I could see his hand. What advice would you give to someone who's looking to follow your footsteps and do what you're doing?

[15:58 -> 16:42] Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. No, I love passing it forward. I have had so many people pass it forward to me that I'm just like a fountain. I'm like, yes, love to share. I usually talk to two or three students, residents a month about starting their practice. The advice I usually give them is one, like write down your vision and keep it front and center because there's so many well meaning influences along the way that would love to have you do it their way. But having a vision for how you want to practice medicine and keeping that front and center is really key. And then two, get mentors around you. You don't have to do it from scratch. There are so many people who have poured into me to be able to get to this. So having those mentors around you is huge. In a community,

[16:44 -> 16:53] Speaker 2: you are very modest because you've been able to give away more than $100,000 in medical care in just. That was just last year.

[16:53 -> 16:54] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[16:54 -> 17:01] Speaker 2: So why was generosity such an important part of your practice? And what have you seen God do through that?

[17:01 -> 17:16] Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's been great. As part of the beauty of owning your own practice, like you can do what you want. So my patients, when I would raise the price to keep the practice sustainable. I never raised it on the people that were there.

[17:16 -> 17:16] Speaker 2: That's good.

[17:17 -> 17:55] Speaker 1: And then when people would fall on hard times, like if someone gets laid off in my practice or someone falls on hard times financially as much as possible, I don't want them to also lose their doctor. So that's where additional funding comes in for discounts or pausing what their finances are. But I hired a virtual assistant a few months ago who's a college business professor. So she's like, hey, Dr. White, how much are we giving away? And I was like, actually, I don't know the answer to that question. We're just like, we're sustainable. We have more than enough. Like, it's fine. But we calculated it and that's where that number came from.

[17:55 -> 17:56] Speaker 2: So praise God.

[17:56 -> 18:11] Speaker 1: But. Yeah, praise God. But it's been such a blessing. I think God, God gives us. God gives us what he thinks will steward well. And I think the better we steward it, hopefully the, you know, the better he's willing to, to give us two stories, whether it's finances, hearts, whatever.

[18:13 -> 18:33] Speaker 2: Have you had that moment with a patient or in your practice where you said, oh, wow, this is why you have me here? Like, have you, have you had that moment? I don't want, you know, without violating any hip or anything like that. Like, have you, have you other said, oh, man, I now see exactly why you've used me to put me in this situation. Like, you didn't waste all those times. And my tears, my struggle. Like, yeah, this is why you have me.

[18:33 -> 18:57] Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, no, totally. Like, and like several times a week, like, it's, it's amazing. It's amazing. Like, God just works so well. And. Yeah, like a few weeks ago, I had a gentleman who, he's been having a lot of health issues. We've been working together a lot over the last year. And he, he admitted, like, yeah, you know, I realize I do have a problem with alcohol. And he's like, no one else knows.

[18:57 -> 18:58] Speaker 2: Wow.

[18:58 -> 19:18] Speaker 1: And he was able to be sober and we were able to work on a plan for him. And that's going to impact his family, his community. Like, that's going to impact so many people. And just like being able to have, like, build the relationship with someone over that period of time to be able to offer to pray, to shepherd him closer to his faith. And it's. Yeah, it's been a huge blessing.

[19:19 -> 19:22] Speaker 2: So can I, can I share some of your future plans?

[19:22 -> 19:23] Speaker 1: Oh, sure. Yeah.

[19:23 -> 19:35] Speaker 2: Because you talked about eventually opening up, like, A free clinic in Cleveland. So what does that look like? What do you hope to. To accomplish? Like, walk us. Walk us through that. Like, why is that something you feel so passionately about?

[19:36 -> 19:42] Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I think as much as I love the current model of medicine that I have, like, it still costs money.

[19:42 -> 19:42] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[19:43 -> 19:54] Speaker 1: And there are still people without care. So I would love to eventually have a free clinic in Cleveland. Like, proper. In this area, we have a free clinic out in the rain, but we actually don't have anything in, like, Cleveland area.

[19:56 -> 19:56] Speaker 2: So.

[19:56 -> 20:25] Speaker 1: Yeah, my goal right now is my practice is up and running and the next step is actually empowering other doctors to open their practices because we're the ones who have the time, the energy to be able to share into a free clinic and then have that run. So that's like I tell my 5 to 10 year goal, although it keeps getting closer. So we're gonna have to work on it. But right now we've had several open within the Cleveland area in the last year. We have two more that are probably starting within the next few months. So it's been like a joy to be able to empower them too.

[20:26 -> 20:32] Speaker 2: So anybody who wants to maybe get in touch with you or have you as their doctor, are you still taking patients? What does that look like for you right now?

[20:33 -> 21:03] Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. The practice website is empoweredhealthdpc.com, so there's an email on their phone number. People are welcome to contact if someone's interested in joining the practice as a patient. There is a join tab with a link to join the wait list. I take a few people each month and do my best to get them in as best I can. And then we also have a website with a YouTube channel we recently launched, which is super fun because I know I can't care for everyone, but getting it out, like videos and things to be able to share is another way to hopefully spread the care.

[21:04 -> 21:05] Speaker 2: How long is your wait list?

[21:07 -> 21:14] Speaker 1: Well, someone complained last week that it was a year, so I felt bad. So, yeah, we do our best.

[21:15 -> 21:16] Speaker 2: That's a good problem to have.

[21:16 -> 21:17] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[21:17 -> 21:19] Speaker 2: It's better to have a wait list, I guess, than not.

[21:19 -> 21:25] Speaker 1: Yeah. I'd like to hire another one or two docs to be able to get people more care. So we're working on it. But yeah, I just need the right. The right person.

[21:26 -> 21:28] Speaker 2: Yeah. All right. If you're the right person.

[21:29 -> 21:30] Speaker 1: Yes, please.

[21:30 -> 21:46] Speaker 2: If you're the right person. You better pray about that, sister. Thank you so much for being on here today. This has been a huge blessing. Thank you for being in the mission field with me in New Orleans. Thank you for trusting me and putting up with me, taking care of all our admin support. So thank you.

[21:46 -> 21:48] Speaker 1: Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you.

[21:48 -> 21:54] Speaker 2: This is the Let Them Know segment. This is the final segment of the podcast. This is where you can share anything you like with the audience. So, Lily, please let them know.

[21:55 -> 22:33] Speaker 1: Oh, love it. Yeah. I would just like to let people know that if you're in a hard season or you've been through a series of hard seasons, that. That God is. That is God is good, and he will show you his goodness on this side of heaven. I think we talk so much about, like, Romans 8, 28. Like, you will see the, like, all things work together for good, and sometimes that's like, well, you'll see it in heaven. But I. A year ago, I saw Psalms 27 where he talks about, you'll see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Like, we will still see goodness here. So I just want to give people hope. If you're going through a season, you will see his goodness.

[22:33 -> 22:36] Speaker 2: Doctor, would you mind praying this out before we get out of here?

[22:36 -> 23:02] Speaker 1: Oh, sure. Dear Heavenly Father, we just thank you so much for this time to get to enjoy together, and thank you for Eric and his podcast. And I pray that you just continue to bless it that these. These words, these interviews would just speak life into those listening, dear Lord, that they would. They would hear what they need to hear. And if there's anything that we shouldn't say or people shouldn't hear, I just pray you'd wipe it out and just give them what they need at this time. And in your name we pray. Amen.

[23:02 -> 24:21] Speaker 2: And, Father, just thank you for my sister right now, Lord. And I pray you continue to expand her territory, Lord, you're preparing things for her even now. So all those things in her prayer closet that she maybe have vocalized or haven't vocalized. Lord, I thank you that you have plans for my sister. Lord, I pray that you just continue to bring the right people in her life. Continue to bring her divine appointments as she is, divine appointments for so many, Father. Continue to guide her hands, guide her mind, and give her the grace to be obedient to all the things you've called her to do. And I thank you for the open doors you have prepared for her. And I thank you for the doors you are closing for her now, Father. So no matter whether it's a free clinic or there's more staff, I thank you. This next transition is going to be one of you and for you and I thank you for the testimony that's going to come from this situation. Father, we just pray and ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen. If you've been enjoying our content please like follow, share and subscribe to the Rooted in Christ podcast. We are on all major podcast platforms. Do not forget get your tickets November 7th of the House of Blues at Cleveland, Ohio. We have kb, we have Mike Tey, Bro, Horisha Love, Taylor Wells are going to be there. My man Renzo is is co hosting the show. You have no idea who's going to show up in beyond the Walls. Trust me you do not want to miss this. There's also going to be a men's conference following this just so we can get some of the guys plugged in to some of the churches in the area. So Cleveland, meet me there. Beat me there.