FLU...

Thursday - aches and pains - but still at work
Friday - day off - cancelled hike to stay and home rest
Saturday - feeling worse -
Sunday - preached 4 times but didn't do anything else
Monday morning - tried to go to work... big mistake
Monday afternoon - aches/fever/chill/moving from bed to kitchen feels like running a marathon
Monday night - after a day of semi-coherence, finally ate and then watched baseball (2 outs...2 strikes...top of 9...down by 2... 2 on...elimination game... and then HOMERUN)
Today... feeling better

Of course, lacking the energy to carry out our normal responsibilities, there's a sense in which illness is limiting. On the other hand, there's something about enforced silence, and staying in bed because walking to the kitchen is too much, that open's one to hear from God in a way that's powerful because the usual business that crowd's out God's voice is gone. Yesterday, though I felt like I'd been hit by a car, while the rest gives the body a chance to work hard at evicting the virus, that same rest gives the spirit a chance to bring things up for review - personal agendas carried out in God's name - a busyness that avoids Divine Presence - fears - ambitions. The spirit uses the enforced silence (the headache was so bad even music soft music was too much).

I'm amazed at the human body's capacity to deal with these nasty viruses, and grateful that God redeems the forced rest.