Suffering Teaches Patience

Many times, the occasional physical injuries I get, or bouts of the flu I come
down with, end up being hidden blessings...

They force me to make changes in my life.  They also cause me to get the physical rest that I need by putting an abrupt stop to my overachiever and workaholic ways. These injuries or routine illnesses are the means by which I get some time off to recuperate.
         
This week my legs have been wracked with constant pain, while the flu virus
runs rampant in my body. So when I was not at my work assignment during the daytime, I was either in too much pain or I was feeling too weak to do anything else but sleep.
           
This past Wednesday, for example, when the flu struck, I was so tired that I went to sleep at approximately 8 p.m.  I didn't wake up until 6 o'clock the following morning. Normally, I would never get this much sleep.  But I needed the rest, and my body let me know it.
 
While limitations do not exist for the Lord, I, however, have many limitations.  He is all powerful, and without Him, I would always be a weak mass of feeble flesh.
           
I'm also a hard learner.  In His patience, the Lord has been showing me again and again that it is okay to rest.  I used to feel guilty if I wasn't always on the go, trying by my own efforts to "stay busy for God."
            
Little by little I am learning about my limitations, and this is good.
 
D.B.