For most of the last few months I've forgotten we even have a blog. I read some blogs regularly and find them useful, and have never ever thought that ours could ever be 'useful' in that sense, but as I went to bed last night I thought I'd pop this brief thought down. Our family have all been poorly (sick, for non-Brits) for much of the last three weeks, on and off. There's a virus going round - lots of people have had it - and all of us have missed days of school and work. Dawn went to Berlin feeling ropey and came back worse. Joel and Hannah are currently in bed while I've just taken the two healthiest, Esther and (miraculously) Ruth to school. I'm mostly now better.
Anyway, being laid low (in a very minor way) is a frustration. When we're ill (Dawn and I) it makes taking care of the family harder. We feel our isolation more keenly (no relatives, friends live mostly far away across the city). We don't cook as well, shopping is more subsistence level, we miss work, miss church etc etc. When the kids are ill it throws them out of routine. But it's all minor.
And I was just reminded that (a) we can never take our health for granted - it's a gift of God, and a temporary one at that (b) we know people who have genuinely awful health situations at the moment (c) I'm rather proud and self-sufficient when it comes to keeping going physically.
One obvious application from a few weeks of niggling illness is some more humility and dependence on God. Another is more empathy with people who are actually suffering. Another is daily gratitude for the good things we have when we have them. And finally, persistent prayer to ask for the things we need.
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