Reflections from the Bedside

I've been sick most of this week with this sore throat/ congestion virus that most people around here have had, missing three days of work. For an overachiever like me, three days has seemed like an eternity because while I've been home, my mind has been racing about all the undone tasks of mine on my desk at work. There was a senior adult lunch to plan, youth activities to take care of, a Sunday School teacher interview to do, etc, etc.

But . . . really was it my place to worry about all of these things?

Aren't pastors (or people in general) allowed to be sick?

I think so. (But to live into this reality was OH SO hard for me to start with).

But, on the second day of being home bound I began to see that this was what my experience for the week was to be. I needed to embrace it. Maybe the go, go, go part of me needed to take a rest. Maybe I needed to realize that the world does go on without me. Maybe it is ok to do nothing productive besides watch back-to-back episodes of E True Hollywood Story. Maybe all the home and life projects I was worrying about would get done in due time, even if that didn't mean right now.

One of my favorite quotes from church history was recently put to music by Andrew Peterson (a favorite artist of mine). It says, "All will be well. In all matter of things, all will be well."

I love this idea of perspective. I think I often make life more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes it is good to take a step back, take in the view, and allow God to give me some of that peace that passes all understanding which I encourage my parishioners to have each Sunday. There's grace of home bound sick days for me too.

And as a result the change in me was: getting back to work today was actually fun.