illness

Perhaps the most ridiculous illnesses are the ones that keep us from our responsibilities, even though you could do hard labor.

For instance, my allergies have kicked into high gear and led to a low grade flu. I could still do landscaping, construction, or any other physically strenuous gig. Surely, I'd be uncomfortable, but between sneezes and runny noses, I could get it done. 

But when you work with people in certain contexts, different priorities arise. Musical practices, Bible studies, and worship services can hardly suffer the constant interruptions of sneezes and sniffles that alternate every twenty seconds or so. When that leads to randomly occurring bloody noses, all the worse. And when all that means you end up in an incredibly confined space, sharing germs that lead to fevers and other symptoms, at some point you have to pull back and let someone else take a lead. 

For me, I constantly struggle with this dichotomy. I could work, but I can't do the work I'm called to do.  It feels silly and selfish to sit at home when I could be helping.

I remember the first time I led worship without one of our campus pastors. He called me, under very similar circumstances, and said something to the effect of, "the sun doesn't rise or set on whether or not my butt is at the front of the church." His allergies were killing him, and he came down with a cold, and he tried and tried to rationalize coming in despite his clear illness and risk to himself and others. I found out later that his wife used the line about the sun rising or setting, but it was fairly accusatory, and he cleaned up the language.  

I stayed home tonight because my wife reminded me that the sun doesn't rise or set depending on my attendance at any given event. Jesus still shows up at worship. Everyone has valid approaches to scripture. And we have great musicians (including Michelle) that can figure out music without me.