His Ways Sometimes Look Like the Flu
I believe that often times God uses sickness as a way to say…”HOLD up, slow down.” I see it as a forced rest of sorts. NOTE: I am speaking of colds, the flu, the stomach bug…mostly the little things you get from kids who pick their nose and wipe snot on their hands and touch everything.
The Saga
Feburary 2025 our family (of 5—turned 6) got hit hard with the Flu and then the stomach bug back to back. I can save you the saga of being 35—37 weeks pregnant being the caregiver to the 3 kiddos and husband who got the flu then getting it myself…having snow days…coughing so much I broke or cracked a rib…not getting better…refusing to take an antibiotic because I was knew it would mess with my gut bacteria…until I was too sick I had no other choice besides take one or end up 36 weeks pregnant in the hospital with pneumonia…taking the antibiotic…feeling so much better that I could get out of the chair and do a few things to help my amazing husband who took over all household duties and helped me…then having a baby in the midst of my middle daughter throwing up from the brutal stomach bug that once baby boy was in the world hit the other 3 people in the family…
Okay, I didn’t spare you the saga…but when you are so sick and things like the stomach bug hit your house during labor…you only have two choices…trust God in the midst of it or dispair. You can pull up a time or season in your life that is full of back to back to back things that just seem endless…and the same is true for you… you can trust God in the midst of it or dispair. (Sidenote—I know there are and have walked through seasons of life where stress and hardship, pain and loss, hurt and sorrow lead to a despair or depression that only the Lord can help heal and shake—that however is not this…that can be saved for another time. ) Here, we are discussing vomit, coughing, snot, weariness, tiredness, and lots of hand washing.
His Goodness Remains in Hard Seasons
For us it really felt like that season of sickness would never end. There was a long point (before I took the antibiotic) where I couldn’t talk—I could talk but it hurt too bad because I’d cough and my rib would hurt etc etc. But during that season, I was so kind to my kids because I couldn’t say anything unkind—that would just waste my energy and breath. During that season, the Lord revealed to me how quick I am to use my words…I don’t care to admit…but often times, not in the ways that give grace to all who hear. I didn’t complain because…well it hurt to talk out loud, so why waste my breath. And I prayed before I spoke (people have been telling me to do that.. well since always) and therefore my words were kinder and pleased the Lord far more often. WOW. I wish I could have grown in my prayer life and desire to please him and not complain and seek to give grace to all who hear…some other way. However, God’s ways are not our own. Oh, not to mention trusting the Lord in the midst of a storm…of vomit in this case. But truly, our second son, will get to hear the story of entering into the world when the Lord saw was perfect timing and we couldn’t imagine would be a good idea. Yet, he was born, safe and sound, the vomit was cleaned up, the Lord taught me and Robert and the other kiddos some very powerful life lessons.
I pray you can find some lessons and encouragement in the midst of this story, too.
Remember, the Lord never wastes anything. There is purpose in what he does and allows. Seek Him in it and ask him what he wants you to learn from the mess you feel like your in or the goodness of that season.
Chels
