I was sick last week. Sick as in I slept a lot. It all started Sunday. By the end of the second service, I was losing my voice. That Sunday night at our small group, my voice was raspy. Monday morning saw me with barely a voice but also coughing some. Not a lot but enough to say, “Hey! Something is going on here.” So I went to the office Monday morning and after staff meeting (in a large room) I went home. I slept most of the afternoon. I NEVER do that. I slept the night with help from that “sneezing, stuffy nose…medicine.” I went to the office in the early morning but left before anyone got there. I came home and slept for 2 hours. Ditto for Wednesday morning except I felt a ton better. So much so, I rode my bike inside for 50 minutes. Thursday was much of the same. Early morning office. Go home. I went to the Y at lunchtime to work out some stiffness then went to the quiet office in the afternoon.  I stayed away from people as much as possible because what is going around is some kind of virus/flu that is passed on rather easily. I call it the creeping crud. I say all that to share with you some lessons I learned.

First, I’m not young anymore (as if…). I can’t burn the candle at both ends and not run out of steam. Jo kept asking me to slow down but it was like talking to a deaf man. My thinking was I riding my bike inside; I was going to the Y; I was sleeping (somewhat); I was taking my vitamins and immune supplements; that should keep me healthy. No, sometimes the body says, “No more.” Mine said that plus “You are now going to sleep.”

Second, sometimes if you don’t listen to your body, there are stronger forces to deal with. Namely, God. Sometimes God slows a person down because He needs us (me) to listen. Sadly, in my burning the candle at both ends lifestyle, I was failing to listen to Him. Not only did He need me to take time with Him, I think He also was giving me some time to read an all-important book I had been waiting for over 3 months for. (I pre-ordered it last year). I got it read and it knocked my socks off. The book, by the way, is The Deconstruction of Christianity by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett.  253 pages of a phenomenal read. With my previous schedule it would have taken me weeks to read it. With being at home, not having a TV in my ManCave, I was able to read. The only interruption was an occasional snooze here and there. 🙂

Third, you learn the value of others.  Chairs and tables that had been set up, but needed to be taken back down because I had to cancel class, were done by my two co-workers. I’m grateful for them picking up the slack.

I’m back to work this Monday morning. I’m still not back to normal (whatever that might be). Rumor has it this thing hangs on awhile. Hopefully, I’m a little wiser. At least just a smidge.