God's Ways are not our Ways: Sickness

Sometimes I don't understand God's ways, and those are usually the times that my trust in God is most challenged. One way I've felt this lately is with sickness in our family. Since January, sickness has been coming and going from our family non-stop. Sophie, Brielle, and I have all been sick several times. Usually it's a cold, but this weekend it was the flu. 

While I really, really don't like being sick in and off itself (and hate it even more to see my child sick), I have mostly been frustrated lately because every sickness that we have had comes on the weekend so that we end up missing both church and small group. Our purpose for taking a year off from our training with New Tribes Mission was so that we could invest in, spend time with, and learn from our local church. And since January, I have had to miss more church and life groups than what I have been able to attend (thankfully Ben has still been able to teach senior high youth group as his immune system seems to be better). It's frustrating for me. I miss hearing good sermons and having good fellowship. It makes me question Why? when this was our purpose for taking a break from our training. I see the months counting down before we head to our training, and I hate that I'm missing so much precious time with our church body. 

This weekend Sophie and I got the flu, and this sickness is what "pushed me over the edge" with my frustration. I know there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it though (other than taking vitamins and lots of soap)... so today I was challenged to remember that my relationship with God does not have to be stunted because of missing church. I had some precious time in my Bible this morning, just me and the Lord. And even more so, I'm reminded to praise God for the health that we do have. There are many worst illnesses that keep people out of church and fellowship indefinitely whereas this is just a short phase of my life. Some Christians are persecuted if they try to attend a church or fellowship with other believers. I've been reminded to never take for granted the capability and the freedom I have to attend a church that loves and preaches the name of Jesus.

[Poor, sick Sophie at her birthday party]