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Volume 4, Issue 2 Page 7 |
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Doggett Chapel UMC
Sickness tends to come in spurts. It is never just a little sickness. It is nobody or everybody. In families we tend to share (mom taught us that). Someone told me it is the cold weather that does it to us. I don’t believe it. I like cold weather. I don’t think there is anything inherent in the cold that gives us sickness. Instead, it is our drive indoors that does it. We go inside to escape the cold (why not stay outside and enjoy it?). As we are all crammed indoors during the winter we share space with each other. Our germs have less far to travel in order to reach us. Pretty soon everyone is sharing the same germs. So we made it through November and December. First I got sick. Then it was Nicholas. Amy followed him and Ryan had to give it a try. Finally, I got it a second time. The second time was worse than the first. But it is January and we made it through. Everyone got better and a new year is underway. I am writing this with Ryan at my side. He is home with me today because he is sick. Just when I thought we made it through, Ryan gets another round. He will more than likely share his cold with the rest of the family. His toys are another thing altogether. Germs pass from one person to another quickly. They quickly take root. I got to wondering how they got so effective? What is their secret? Imagine for a minute that other things could spread as quickly as the common cold. What would the world be like? What would it be like if peace could pass from one hand to another? What if love could hang on a doorknob and pass to the hand that opens the door? What if hope spread through the air like germs from a sneeze? So the day starts out this way: You walk into the office and the boss is in a fit over the reports that sales are declining. All the records |
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indicate that this year will be the lowest for profits in the companies history. You sneeze. Germs of hope fly through the air and the boss breaths in. All of a sudden he springs to life. He is excited at the challenge that lay ahead. Instead of seeing the data as a sign of future failure, he views it as a challenge to meet. “Its going to be a great year,” he says. You walk into your cubicle and you hear crying. The next cubicle over is the new girl. You find out that her boyfriend broke off the engagement. She confides in you that nobody cares for her. She feels all alone. You cough. Germs of love fly through the air and she breaths in. Poof! She smiles and says, “I am loved,” as she turns to work on her project, knowing that the right person is just around the corner. A man walks into the office with a gun and yells something about being fired unjustly. He reaches down to turn the knob on the door to shut it. It is the same knob you opened earlier. Germs of peace are clinging to the knob. The man touches the germs and he drops the gun. He decides to let go of his anger and refocus on finding a new job. The day ends and you head home for a good night sleep, knowing that everything will be alright. Ok, so life doesn’t work that way. Flu virus spreads quickly and peace, love and hope take time. But don’t give up on them. Keep working at them. It may not be as easy as catching a cold, but if we keep trying they may take root.
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