Sick

There is nothing quite like being physically sick to feed our innermost desire to FEEL good, to be pampered and to be taken care of. Those feelings probably emanate from our youth sometime - a time when we were ill and our mommies provided for our needs. Greater love hath no one then a friend or family member who loves us while we are sick. Nothing says "love" quite like someone holding our head while we throw up in a toilet.

As you might have guessed already, I was home, sick when I wrote this. Sore throat, headache, tired and achy. I'm not very good company, as our two cats will attest to. They are keeping their distance. Smart kitties. However, the cats are my only companionship today. My wife is at work. So are all of my friends. I'm home, alone, having to fend for myself when I don't really feel like "fending." Poor me.

Do you suppose God ever gets sick? I'm thinking probably not. Are there germs in heaven? Mosquitoes? Do people throw up in heaven or have pounding headaches? So many questions, and I don't know any of the answers. But I DO know this: God is compassionate and loving and God heals the sick and raises the dead back to life.

"But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them" - 2 Kings 13:23

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love." - Psalm 145:8

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." - Matthew 14:14

I see sickness and illness as opportunities for others to show love and compassion for one another. Jesus, our example, showed compassion & grace to thousands. Can the same be said of us?

When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus he said to those present, "The poor you will always have with you." What prompted Jesus to say that? Why will we ALWAYS have the poor with us?

Was Jesus speaking to our lack of compassion as a people? Did he know we would never be willing to help everyone who needs it? Here's an even bigger question. Are "the poor" and "the sick" always with us so that we will have opportunities to be compassionate? To serve our fellow man?

If this life is truly a boot camp of sorts as I wrote about in my post Soldiers, what good would our training be if there was no one to help?

Tonight my wife will come home from work to find her husband asleep in a living room chair. She will show compassion and concern because of her love for me. And that will be a good thing. She will draw nearer to God through her compassion for others (me) and that's why we are here.

"28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" - Romans 8:28

It's not fun being sick. I am missing the joy I always feel upon seeing my best friend at work. And tonight I will miss visiting with another good friend for a chat at the local Dairy Queen. But when my wife walks through the door and, "in sickness and in health", she begins to take care of her poor, sick husband, I will be glad. Not because I am sick or because I will be pampered or comforted, but because God is using my illness to bring someone closer to Himself. And that makes this headache and the sore throat all worth it.

Here's a short video which shows Jesus having compassion on a Roman Centurion. Because of the centurion's faith, Jesus answered what was really his enemies request. His enemies prayer for healing.

Jesus Heals The Sick Servant