It began with a cough on Tuesday. By Wednesday I was feeling worse. By
Thursday, I had a fever, canceled all my commitments, and stayed in bed. The
dreaded flu! I usually get a flu shot, but never got around to it this year.
I say to God, “Really? You let me get sick just before Holy Week? The
busiest time of the year?” And I hear Her respond, “You would rather you were
ill during Holy Week?” That
quiets me as I humbly offer apologies and thanks. He has a point.
In the meantime, with my poor fevered brain only at half-mast, I must
rely on the wisdom of others this week. Upon hearing that I was sick, a kind parishioner
emailed me: “there is always some kind of lesson that comes out of
times like this. The obvious one is: we
are not ultimately in control of our lives. I was going to wish you a speedy
recovery, but the truth of the matter is that the flu is going to last as long
as it wants to last.... So rather than wish you a speedy recovery, I wish you a
blessed and fruitful sickness.”
What an unusual blessing, and yet it warms my heart! She is right. We
save ourselves a lot of grief by accepting what is, accepting our limits, and
learning what we can where we are placed, even if it doesn’t match our plans.
So I am doing my best to ensure a fruitful sickness, even amidst the tissues
and aches. This I do primarily by counting my blessings and recognizing that I
am not in control – God is. So this day I wish you all blessedness and
fruitfulness wherever God has placed you in this moment.
