Saturday, October 3

Today’s Readings: Job 7:1-21; Luke 16:14-18; Psalm 26

I’m someone who generally has an extremely high level of energy. I rarely slow down in life for very long. There’s about only one thing that can slow me down – and that is getting sick. Well, this week I was running around at break-neck speed – trying to get ready for Mike’s arrival last Thursday night – when guess what happened? I got sick. Tuesday I could feel the sore throat move in and by Thursday afternoon the congestion was there. By the time I picked Mike up at the airport on Thursday night at 11:00 PM I felt like a bus had hit me. Needless to say, I’ve been a little crabby as I’ve had to deal with being sick on the one weekend in a two-month span that I get to spend with Mike. On more than one occasion this weekend I’ve found myself uttering sentiments much like Job’s in today’s passage: “I’m not keeping one bit of this quiet, I’m laying it all out there on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest” (Job 7:11 from The Message). I know that some people of faith would be bothered by such a reaction to life’s injustices – that they would expect a person of faith to smile and simply endure the challenges without a peep. Before you give up on me, however, I would note that often – when I find myself in that place of crabbiness with my Creator – I also take a moment to reflect on how glad I am to be in relation with One who embraces all facets of my being (my crabbiness included). Til next time…