upgrade to man flu

I am declaring a probable man-flu infection. My throat has been sore for a few days now and other symptoms have decided to join in and throw a party – sneezing, runny nose, tiredness…

Because I am a manly man [stop laughing] I am not going to allow man-flu to win. It is the wrong season for me to be ill and taking unscheduled time off is not an option that I want to consider. There are schools to visit, carol services to attend, services to prepare, sermons to write, photographs to be taken, people to visit, books to read, prayers to pray, meetings to attend… and that’s just tomorrow morning!

However, the mind-bogglingly brilliant way in which God has designed our bodies to cope with infection means that I may have to give in to the inevitable. My white blood cells need me to rest to be at their best. I may have to slow down or stop for a while if I am to get better quicker.

As I consider the list above I wonder how indispensable I really am. I am sure I am less indispensable than I’d like to think I am. If I was unable to do these things most would happen without me. Someone would cover for me. And those things that did not happen would not lead to a catastrophic implosion of the time-space continuum and herald the second coming of Jesus. Life would go on. Church would go on.

Ego tells us that we are vital as it seeks to inflate itself. Humility gently lets the air out and suggests that people will cope without us. Ego then suggests that we must have done a good job equipping them to step in when we are unavailable. Humility chuckles sagely and tickles our pomposity until we start giggling and receiving the Kingdom of God like little children…

I’m still planning on fighting the man-flu. But I am willing to admit temporary defeat if absolutely necessary.

Be blessed, be a blessing

There were two guys working for the Council. One would dig a hole, he would dig, dig, dig, the other would come behind him and fill the hole, fill, fill, fill. These two men worked furiously. One digging a hole, the other filling it up again.

A man was watching from the a pavement cafe and couldn’t believe how hard these men were working, but couldn’t understand what they were doing. Finally he had to ask them.

He said to the hole digger, “I appreciate how hard you work, but what are you doing? You dig a hole and your partner comes behind you and fills it up again!”

The hole digger replied, “Oh yeah, it must look funny, but the guy who plants the trees is sick today.”