In Sickness and in Health

"In a time of sickness the soul collects itself anew." Latin Proverb

I have to say that today's devotion wasn't my favorite. I know that every morning God has something in store for me and I'm hoping that someone else gets a blessing from it and that my heart remains soft and willing to receive every message from God. Who know, I might need to remember it someday!?!

Anyways, the devotion was about sickness and the healing process. Being a preschool teacher, I rarely get sick (knock on wood). When I'm constantly around children who are carrying lots of germs and spreading their own illnesses with each other, I'm usually okay to blow noses, take temperatures, and I occasionally (okay, let's be honest, more than occasionally) get sneezed or coughed on. My body fights off the sickness and I'm still in shape to go to work and assist the other children who are fighting off the same bugs.

I praise God that my body hasn't suffered any major illness either. I do have a very illness-prone family and it is a big joke that a lot of them don't even have an immune system. Sadly, a lot of my family does really have auto-immune stuff going on and we tend to not joke about it to the ones it really effects.

It's a tough thing to go through when you have to take a break from everything and let your body heal. It's also a great learning experience for yourself. You learn that you are not indispensable and that the world does go on without you. You also learn that certain areas do need you and they work better when you are up and well. Being sick can also teach us that we need to take all things in moderation and at a balanced pace. We need a reminder that our body is not a machine that we can just ignore until it breaks down; we must maintain it and keep it healthy.

There are other illnesses that give us bigger, and deeper reminders about life and about God. There are times when we learn that all we have to believe in is God and we must trust His doing. This is a hard one and many, many people struggle with this every day. It's one that not too many people can give advice on because it's such a hard situation. All I know, which isn't much, is that God is all-knowing. He will direct us and lead us into righteousness and we must trust His will. This world is not our home and if we can just remember that the end of this life is not the end and we are promised a beautiful life in heaven!

Will Do

1. Choose to trust God in times of illness
2. Listen to what the Spirit of the Lord has to say when you are sick
3. Use illness as a time to reconsider your priorities
4. Rest in God's love
5. Slow down and let nature's healing process happen
6. Take better care of yourself
7. Honor your body in sickness and in health

To Do

1. Read about the healing miracles in the Gospel
2. When you are felling stressed out and on the edge of getting sick, take a day to rest and renew
3. Make sure your medicine cabinet is stocked
4. Make a special treat basket for times of convalescence: magazines, books, bedtime treated, puzzles, and special soaps.
5. Take a treat basket yo a sick friend
6. Go to bed an hour early and get some needed rest
7. Write about your priorities in your journal - especially if your schedule is running you ragged 

Bible Verses to Remember

1. Psalm 119:67-68
2. Jeremiah 17:14
3. Jeremiah 33:6
4. Matthew 9:35
5. Matthew 9:22
6. Psalm 107:20
7. Psalm 41:3

"It is true to say that patience in sickness and other forms of trouble pleases God much more than any splendid devotion you might show in health."

            Unknown