Sweet Peace and the Stomach Flu

Tonight is a strange night; awful, yet wonderful. We all have either had, (that would be me) or are in the process of having the stomach flu. I'll spare the awful details, but those of you who have had the experience of running to the bathroom frequently during a given 24 hour period can relate. My whole family is down at the moment. Some have fever; some have thrown up several times today; others are dizzy and dehydrated. Okay, so I decided not to spare you the details. But, and forgive me if I sound unsympathetic to my suffering family, it is so peaceful in this house right now. No one is stirring. No one needed any supper. I just fix glasses of Sprite and I'm through. God, in His mercy, has given us wonderful rest in a very comfortable environment. It's hard to even categorize it as "suffering", although I'm not sure that my family would agree with that last statement(...and I'm not sure I would have agreed yesterday.) There is something to be said for sleeping on and off for a whole day. There is even more to be said for being made acutely aware of how blessed you are to be able to go about your day-to-day activities with thoughtless ease.

I thought about my friend, Alan, during my "down time." He has had "down time" for over 5 years now. For the last two of his five years, he has been on a ventilator. He has Lou Gerihg's Disease. I cannot even begin to imagine a day in his life. Alan has been to me a "shining star in a dark universe." He has written books with a special computer keyboard. He has been an encouragment to me and to so many. He is God's grace, personified. My prayers for Alan are mostly Holy Spirit groanings now. I keep asking that the LORD either heal him or take him home, ...but still no answer yet. I don't know why. It seems awful....but I know that there is some wonderful in it all...somehow. God's Word says so. In Romans 11:36 it says that Christ is to all, through all, and in all. I believe it. Someday, with eyes unveiled, we'll know as we are known. I want the LORD to show me all the wonderful work He accomplished through this man and his suffering. I know that when the Lord shows me, there will have been something wrought for me too.

Thank you, Alan. Thank you, LORD. Thank you for awful things that hold within them your wonderful grace and peace.