Finding Goodness, Even in the Middle of Badness

Nobody likes being sick. I can guarantee you that almost nobody would elect sickness; that is, unless you are in kid and you don't want to go to school. But realistically, being sick interferes with our everyday plans. When you are sick, you don't want to do a whole lot of anything. In fact, if you are very sick you can pretty much count on doing a whole lot of nothing, except puck or cough, depending on your illness. Getting sick is something that I try to avoid. Yet, even though I did everything I could possibly do to not get sick- I even wore a mask while sitting in the waiting room at my doctor's office and washed my hands often, I still ended up getting sick. It almost seems like this stuff is floating around in the air. So many people have been sick lately. I usually know when I'm fighting off a potential illness because I become very tired- almost to the point of feeling as if I've been wrung out. Sunday (last week), I was so tired that I almost could not get ready for church. I finally did and made it to church, even though I was a bit late. After church, I didn't feel as exhausted as before. So, I decided that once I'd made it home, I would settle in and make myself a cup of soup and do a little writing. When I finally made it home, I checked my phone to see if anyone had called. I'd left my phone behind and didn't realize that until after I was halfway to church. I didn't dare turn around to get it because I was already running late. So, when I looked at my messages, I noticed a friend from church had called. I listened to her voice message. She was inviting me to her apartment to eat some split pea soup- which I love. I called her back to tell her I'd love to come over and eat. Then, she made the dreaded comment. She said we could take a walk after we ate our soup. I had just recovered from a dental infection, and I was feeling a bit tired, but I decided I might consider a short walk. When I arrived at her place, we spent time visiting as she was heating our meal. We sat at the table, prayed over our meal, began eating, and spent a little time chatting. Afterwards, she rinsed our dishes and we took off for a short walk. As we began making one trip around the lake, the cold wind became icy cold. Normally I could handle the cold. Yet because my immune system wasn't strong enough, Sunday I could not. I didn't realize that until later. The next day was New Years Eve. My husband and I decided to spend the evening inside. We watched a movie and as the time began to wind down to midnight, my throat began to close up and I was wiped out. In fact, I nearly missed our New Years toast. After we had our toast, I knew it was time for me to hit the sack. So, I did just that. Tuesday morning, I woke up sick. In fact, today is Tuesday (exactly 1 week later), and I'm still in recovery. But during this time of being unable to carry on with my usual busyness, I have had the chance to reflect on various things. Often it isn't until we are forced to remain in stillness that we come face to face with various truths. Truth isn't always a hard pill to swallow. Often truth is actually the uncovering of a lie or even the clarification of something that looked different that what it truly was. It is often during our times of stillness that the Holy Spirit can reveal truth to us. During this week of illness, I am thankful that God can reveal His goodness, even in the middle of badness. Truth isn't always comfortable, but just as God's Word declares in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Today, I am thankful that God's goodness surpasses anything that looks and/or seems bad. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Are you willing to look for the good, even in the middle of what looks bad?