Sick Again (2 of Angie's post under this one)

We are now on our fourth bout of sickness for the family since the beginning of the year. We’ve  gone through colds and such in the past with the occasional real sickness but so far never at his intensity. In a large family, as in ours, it starts out with one person getting sick (usually one of the kids) the hope then is that they will get better and no one else catches it. It seems inevitable that just about the time that first person is getting better that everyone else gets sick in a domino type effect making the whole episode stretch way out.
We all love the opportunity to attend church Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings but of course we do not want everybody else to get sick so we try to use our judgment as to who can go to church without getting everybody there sick. This of course means in these long sessions of sickness we miss a lot of church :). 
Usually I am able to avoid catching what the family has but not this time. For the third time in 15 years I got sick and had to stay home from work. Austin said “I don’t think I ever saw dad stay home from work”. In my mind if I can work then I go. You just have to press on and finish the task set before you. In fact I hate just lying on the couch doing nothing. This time I came home a little early from work and decided to take a little nap. I woke up 16 hours later! Not quite sure I ever slept that long before.
Well the question is always asked why do I get sick? Why does this happen to me? One predominant thought is why did God let this happen? Did he make this happen? Questions, questions, questions….
That brings to mind the questions Job had. Yes he was called righteous but did he (or do we) have any justification to question the almighty? No. Our human “blame it” condition constantly looks for a reason. Did I pray enough? Was I nice enough? Those questions, although they may be valid,  paint the wrong picture. God does not punish us for lack of piety. God is not looking for us to mess up so he can hurl upon us disaster. In fact the one thing he expects of us is to “mess up”.  We do however sometimes incur natural consequences to sin (not punishment but consequences). If we choose to stay up all night and party because we deserve it (I, I , I) then our body’s defense system is worn down and we are more likely to catch something.
So to if we choose to stay up all night seeking God in prayer, our body’s defense system is worn down and we are more likely to catch something.
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Bad things (or at least what we think are bad things) happen to those in and out of God’s will. Being a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ offers is hope in that he will cover us with his feathers and under his wing we will take refuge (his protection).
If and when you go through a time of sickness or trial, don’t blame God or seek a justification. Bless his name in the good and the bad because he is always there with you.

One last note… Maybe he is not with you?? The Bible clearly lays out that to be forgiven you must believe the Jesus is God and that he died for your sins. You must believe that and confess it to be so. Then he will be with you and he PROMISES he will never forsake you!!!
-Jacob