stomach flu
so i got the stomach flu last week. I thought during my teen years that I had kissed those days goodbye. But since we've had kids, jocelyn and I both have had a once a year affair (at least) where we get reacquainted intimately with the bathroom toilet (she's escaped this one so far-God is VERY good).
Now I'm better and back to work except the memory remains... a STRONG memory. And i'm looking at every door knob and every approaching handshake like it might be harboring the next thing to turn my stomach inside out.
But then in a few weeks I'll have forgotten and be back to only washing my hands 5 times a day as opposed to the 50+ times i'm washing them now (only slightly exaggerating here). The fear will be gone.
On one hand this is reassuring-this relatively short memory I have- I won't become the next howard hughes (have you seen Aviator?) But I'm not convinced this is a good thing. Because this tendency applies to many more things in my life than just the stomach flu.
And so forgetting the agony experienced and the caution "learned," i get back up on my feet and go bounding back into life, blindly running into the arms of the next thing that will torture me.
Man, who will save me from this body of death? click here
peace
posted by Dion @ 1/31/2006 01:29:00 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Glad to hear you're back up and at it.
How quickly we forget? I guess it depends... I had an "incident" with a toilet in Mexico once that caused me to stay clear of RIBS for 10+ years.
Really only this year has K drawn me back to rib eating - only her special recipe of course! :P
Here's to the eternal bubble of no sickness or pain that awaits...
Its sad how true this is. But it is true of all of us...spiritually. (I donno whether this is a 'politically correct' compareson, but here goes:)
In this writing I'm reminded how, when I'm spiritually sick, I can't help but run to God (no, i'm not calling God a toilet, and hey, I didn't write the metaphor). It's not until life is better, and I am "well" that I slowly stop going there as often....Being sick forces us to God. As my boy CS Lewis says "pain (ie sickness) is God's megaphone". It makes us stand up and take notice about who's actually running this show...and it ain't us.
In the same way, after an experience that caused us pain (such as coming in contact with someone spreading flu), we're reserved about going back to them again. If a relationship has been hurtful, we often shy away from interacting with that person again....sometimes it's an appropriate choice for our own safety, but I think more often, it is our pride that keeps us away...we refuse to forgive them.
I'm thankful that God created the cycle of Time. Because of the changing world we live in, and how our lives ebb and flow, we are reminded constantly to return to Him, as well as other people (I'm so glad "time heals").
This probably isn't remotely what you intended, Dion, but thanks for jarring my thoughts....
funny how we see different sides of things like this Bob. But I also connect with what you say...
i'm referring to my unwillingness to remember (at least for very long) the pain my bad decisions cause so i repeat them... it sounds like you are talking about our tendency to forget our need for God. It amazes me that i can think both of those statements are accurate, but i do. I think that testifies to the fact that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love him'
I never had a bad "incident" in Toronto when my hubby and I were driving back to our hotel from a hockey game. Thanks to Jesus, I made it to the ONLY open gas station around town. These things come and go, but I tell ya, before we found that gas station...I said "Please God" about a million times, and he helped me!
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