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I've been sick for over a week. It began and I just kept pushing and pushing through, hoping it would go away. Can you relate?
I hit the wall last Sunday, had a good spell Monday, and was down for the count on Tuesday and Wednesday. I knew it was time (past time) to go to the doctor, which I did. This is an infection that occurs every year around this time, and it will continue happening until I have surgery, which I'm not ready to do yet. Anyway, they gave me a steroid shot which usually works for this - just not as quickly as I like. The remainder of the week was a combination of good periods and awful periods. I took many naps and I prayed unceasingly.
I'm just wondering, do these sound familiar or is it just me:
Father God, please help me feel better. You know how much I need to get done! I have __________ and _________ and ________ and ...
Okay, God, I've gone to the doctor. Now help me get well quickly!
God, it's the weekend now, so I will rest. But I need to be all better for Monday.
I started thinking about the way I've been praying. I went to Him, I praised Him, and I told Him my need. Then I added "quickly" or "hurry" into the prayer - I gave God a timeline! Even if I didn't use the exact word, my whole tone, my whole body, my whole attitude was poised for urgency, for quickness, for an answer soon. It made me realize that even now, when I'm feeling rough, even now, when I'm realizing that God wants me to slow down and focus on Him, and even now, when I'm praying most than I usually do, I'm not truly praying for His will to be done in His time.
Hey, we are all creatures of comfort. It's not fun to feel bad. It's not fun to have no energy. It's not fun to have your head feel like it's in a vise. And every day you get further and further behind! So we want relief as soon as possible. But I've been reminded of something over and over this past year and it struck me again this weekend.
My Weakness - His Strength
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
I've been missing what God has been saying to me because I'm so concerned about getting well and doing it quickly! I forgot to rely on His Strength and not worry about the timing. I forgot to say, "Lord, You know how I feel. You know what I need to get done, personally and professionally. But You also know the entire picture. So I ask you today, what are you wanting to tell me? How can I show You and Your love today?
So for the remainder of today, my intent is to listen to what God is trying to say to me. My intent is to relax my mind, my body and my soul, and see what happens. I look forward to sharing with you what I find in this down time. And hey, it only took me 10 days to get to this point!
I'd love to hear how Christ has shown His strength to you during your weakness. Comment and share - I need some encouragement!
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