This past July our Mexico City team, Venezuela team, Guadalajara team, Cuba team and Costa Rica team all came together for a our annual country retreat. There are so many times where you can feel isolated when you live in a different country and speak their language....just barley. It was such a sweet time to be encouraged and be together.
We went to a place about 2.5 hours away to a place called Mission San Gil. It is a beautiful rustic place with lots of Mexican History and character.
The food was good....looking. Five of us ended up getting quite ill after our second day there . All with major tummy problems, vomiting and flu like systems. Mine hit July 18th. I started antibiotics July 21st. The Dr. said it was a bacterial infection due to food - meat or salad he thought.
Today is July 31 and can I say I am done DONE feeling nauseous. Now I have been at home near a bathroom sipping cold beverages for about 12 days. And I continually catch myself in a navel gazing pity party. Why am I the only one out of all of us that got sick that is STILL SICK?
In my cabin fever I began to think of all the ways I was wronged by eating a salad at our conference. And I became a resounding gong in my hubby's ear. "Andrew I'm in pain, Andrew I threw up again, Andrew I'm hot, Andrew I'm cold, Andrew my antibiotics taste like bile! Andrew can I please have a cold cloth?" on and on it went. Then yesterday Andrew looks at his un-kept wife. I think it had been at least two days since I was able to shower and way longer since a brush or makeup had been near my face and head. And ever so gently he said to me, "Claudia, have you tried thanking God for this sickness?" For a moment I looked at him almost like a pit bull in a corner, head cocked and ready to lunge. But then in silence I nodded no I hadn't. I know scripture calls us to be thankful in "ALL THINGS" but it can feel a bit ridiculous to give thanks for the opportunity to visit the bathroom so often, to be thankful for having loopy dreams from the gravel I have made a steady diet of. But yet time and time again I remember how even when my feelings tell me other wise, being thankful isn't so much about enjoying the situation your in it is about knowing WHO is with you and knowing that ultimately GOD IS IN CONTROL of the whole situation even if I do not understand it. It comes back to faith and obedience. Not everything needs to make sense.
I think of our wonderful goofy kids. How often do they get answers or input from me they don't really want or value? Does it mean that I don't follow through with my request? I hope not. They might not understand why I say no pop during the week, no you can't start a movie at 10 pm at night. No you can't have a sleep over during the school week, no you can not ride a plane to Canada and back for the weekend. I don't care if you showered yesterday shower again. Even after our disagreements it still is my hearts desire to have them come to me before bed give me a little snuggle, let me pray with them and have them be thankful for all that happened in their day. Even the not so fun stuff. Why? Because it all works together to shape us into who we are today and who we will be tomorrow. Remember we do not know what comes tomorrow so lets do our best at handling today. Lets try and help each other to see the good or the hope in each situation.
Is there something you need to be thankful for?
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
All my love, going to sip some cold green tea =)
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