By Pastor Mike Ivaska
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
As many of you know, I have just come through a four week (or so) season of temporary disability. What began as an apparent case of tendonitis (in both ankles!) turned to what seemed to be bad sprains which turned to what appeared to be an infection which turned to what was finally diagnosed as a case of strep (as in strep throat) in my ankles. It was one of the most unpleasant and painful things I have ever had to deal with, and was certainly the longest I have ever been laid up for any reason. The first two weeks or so of the ordeal I tried to do life “as normal.” It did not work, and I believe only made things much worse for myself. It was God’s time to teach me to rest and to remember that I am not God!
Well, my legs have cleared up. The doctors want to do a couple more tests to look into a possible chronic inflammatory condition. But otherwise, I am back to normal. Today I was able to take a walk (not quite back in shape enough to run yet), and this morning I was able to go on a morning “coffee date” with Nichole, which I’d not been able to do for a month. It is amazing how much we appreciate the small things after they’ve been taken away from us for a time! Even the fatigue I felt after a few push ups and crunches (not done those in a while!) gave me joy.
How easily we all go through life focusing on what we don’t have, on what is not going the way we want. In times like this it is important to stop, to look for what God is doing in the midst of everything, and to say a prayer of thanks to the One who knows the end from the beginning and who knows the number of hairs on our heads.