This mortal coil…

Well it happened…despite all my efforts to avoid it from happening and doing exactly as papa Fauchi told me to do. I got COVID. I can certainly see how some people might have a hard time knowing for sure they actually had  COVID in the early days. At first it could have been mistaken as severe allergies, then in after a few hours, it is similar to the flu, then at the end of the day…for me it was clear – I had it! Misery and discomfort is the only way I know how to explain how it felt. My fever didn’t get too ridiculously high, but the chills, sweats, lack of energy and no appetite was a section of life I’d wish I could have avoided. So many things were going on in my body it was difficult to know what I should be ‘doing’ or much less how to process everything in going on in my brain. I have been sick plenty of times in my life, but this time it was different. I was feeling affects of things that made no sense. My smell and taste left me in a hurry, Most of my meals consisted of 4 saltine crackers, 3 slices of cheddar cheese and water…lots of water.

During this illness, it made me pause to consider many things. One of which is the overall significantly immeasurable span of our lives when considering the wholeness of eternity. There is so much to gain and similarly, so much to lose depending on our responses to life. While we are on this rock, we have the opportunity to make differences in lives, to learn more about ourselves and develop a better relationship with Christ. Sadly, we get distracted by things like success, possessions, and our position. Blame it on good ol’ human nature. But guess what? There is someone who is VERY happy when you get distracted and your eyes fall off of Jesus. He may not have the red skin or fork in his hand, but he sure delights in our distractions.

One day I was in my truck with my wife and I was in a bad mood for one reason or the other and when I turned on the ignition, my default radio station began to play. It was my favorite radio evangelist…but for some selfish ridiculous reason, I was not in the mood for church. So I quickly changed the station to another 80’s and 90’s hits channel. When I got to where ever we were going I turned off my truck and realized something: I had absolutely no idea what songs I had listened to for the past 20 minutes while driving in my truck. What a waste of time. I then thought; what if I had left it on the first station? Maybe I would have heard a great truth or learned a new lesson, instead I wasted my life listening to old songs that I couldn’t even remember.

I can’t tell you how many times I feel like I have dealt with the SAME “life-lesson” over and over…each time thinking I finally have overcome it ‘once and for all’ only to fall back in to the same situation months or years later (or minutes). We can’t beat ourselves up for this though, its a process. Hopefully we learn a little more each time and handle it better, but I can speak from experience of the past and the present, that just because we KNOW something is wrong or not beneficial or a distraction, doesn’t mean we are impervious to it.  We are constantly confronted with the ‘tug-of-war’ of; Good:Evil  Right:Wrong Easy:Ethical the list is long and it doesn’t change a lot. Maybe the circumstances change, but the core lessons are seemingly repeated over and again.

What is it about this mortal coil that like gravity draws us away from the divine and closer to the world? I get frustrated at how powerful of an influence our human nature is despite my desires to be better. I guess I am in good company though…In the book of Romans John said “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Yep, right there with ya brother. According to the Bible we should pray, fast and give alms. All of which keep the focus off of US and puts them on others.