When You're Cold and Sick....

It’s funny how perspective can change.  I have NEVER been a fan of winter, or snow, or cold, or ice, or really any of the things that go with winter.  I have never been a fan of snow days.  Even as a kid, a snow day actually meant more work than a school day, because keeping things going on the farm required far more work in the freezing cold.  As a teacher, I’m not a fan of my plans getting disrupted or the extra chaos that comes with the excitement of that four-letter “s” word (SNOW).  But I am going to admit, I have felt a little different this winter.  In December we had one Saturday with a slight dusting of snow and we took (a) out for his first adventure in it- and he LOVED it!! He laughed and played, and played and laughed.  As a mom, it was SO fun to watch him throw snow, then lick it, then make the dog lick it, then throw some more.  He even kept saying he wanted to build a “'noman” (which was not really an option with less than an inch of snow).  After watching him enjoy December snow so much, I was actually kind of excited yesterday when we received a couple inches.  Usually I would be groaning to watch it continually fall, but yesterday as I sat at my computer working (my school does e-learning days, so I have to be available to my students for set hours during the day) I couldn’t wait for e-learning time and nap time to be over so we could go out and play together.  Actually, my e-learning hours finished while (a) was still napping and I found myself sitting by him, watching over him for any sign he was ready to get up (WHAT!!!??? I’m always milking that nap for every last minute of what I can accomplish while he is asleep!)  I just couldn’t wait to see his face when we got outside.

Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint!  He laughed, and giggled, and threw snow.  He is nearly two and quite conversational, so he told me all his observations about the “’now is coooold” and told me about both of our dogs, and the neighbor dog “play in da ‘now.”  It didn’t even phase him when he fell down a couple times from the combination of bulky snow clothes and ice underneath the snow.  He would giggle and look up at me and say “I fall down!” and then quickly bounce back up.  Nothing phased the fun he was having for nearly an hour until…. He got cold.  And when he was cold it was all over.  The neighbor kids had come over so sweetly to give him a ride on their sleds.  He was having fun, he was telling them about the snow, but when he decided he was cold, there was no consoling him.  He no longer wanted anything to do with the sled, he didn’t want to play with the kids, he didn’t want to walk in it anymore.  He just wanted to cry.  I took him to the house, got both of us un-bundled, snuggled him under a blanket with me but the crying continued because he was cold.  It took quite a while for me to get my usual sweet, silly boy back because all he could focus on was how cold he was. 

Sometimes I think this is so true with our spiritual lives as well.  We can be in a place where we are so happy, and things are going so well, that we are distracted from the fact that we are slowly getting cold.  Growing cold is not something that happens immediately, it takes some time, but we often don’t notice it happening until we realize we are freezing and there is no quick fix.  It is easy to skip our prayer time one day because we are so busy, or to decide we are just too tired to fit in devotions tonight.  We are happy, things are good, we feel like God is blessing us, so we just start skating by.  We might even slip and fall here and there, but as long as we are able to bounce back up we don’t notice until it hits us smack in the face… we are freezing spiritually because we have allowed ourselves to stay too long out in the cold.  We need to bring ourselves back to the warmth of the Father’s love.  When (a) was cold he knew the house was where he wanted to go.  He knew that going back there was where he could get warm.  Just like the warmth that was inside our home, God has never moved from us, we are the ones that wander away from Him.  And just as it takes time to grow cold, it takes time to become warm again.  It is not just something that happens overnight.  It takes time and nurturing. 

Last week I was very sick.  I didn’t go to the dr for official diagnosis, but we are very sure it was full blown influenza (I totally DON’T recommend it!!)  The symptoms were very rough, but one of the things that was toughest for me was how much I really had to take care of myself for it to get better.  I will admit that I am always bad about pushing myself too much.  I let symptoms completely stop me in my tracks before I’m willing to take care of myself (though I will say this time it hit me quick), and then I push myself to go back to work way before my body is ready, I don’t stay down while I am sick, I try to accomplish things instead of resting, and ultimately it takes longer to get better.   This time however, I tried to do my best.  While I was at home I literally did not do anything but rest.  I let (a) and (A) take care of everything around the house (ok, so (A) was taking care of things (a) just followed him around and told me “I help! I help Daddy!” But it was cute!)  I tried not to push myself as much as usual, and in a few days’ time I was starting to feel better. 

When we know we are sick spiritually, we have to slow down and allow time for God to nurture us.  We have to stop the running in 60 directions and simply rest in Him.  Sometimes we have symptoms telling us we need spiritual healing, and other times it hits us quickly, but either way we must learn to STOP and let him heal us.  When we try to keep going, ultimately it takes longer to get better.  In our home we have found this is true when God is healing your heart.  When we try to muscle through on our own power, when we try to declare ourselves “ok” it really is only taking longer to heal.  We have to rest in the arms of the ultimate healer and allow him to take care of our hearts and our spiritual health. 

I am grateful for a Father who loves us enough to take our cold, sick, hearts and wrap them in the warmth of His healing love. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:14 (NIV)