Ok, so I know it's dumb to post twice in one day, especially when you only post once-a-month on average. But this is, like, totally important! ;-D

I have this nasty cold. Maybe it's the worst one I've ever had. Instead of a day of sore throat, a day of headache, and then a few days of excessive snot, this one is 8 days of sore throat, 1 1/2 days of fever and massive headache, a day of zero energy and continued sore throat, and just today I started the snot part and I don't want to imagine how long it will last. I'm sorry if that was too much information. But in the middle of this nasty cold God gave me a day of light.

Actually, it's been neat because through the two days I took off work and the rest of this miserable sickness, I have not only known that God was with me, but felt it too. That's a pretty special thing. So as I dragged myself onto the front porch Wednesday so I could sit and feel the sun on my face, I smiled at Him. Here's the really cool part, though. I have to admit, I've been a bit burnt out lately. I kept hearing grumpy stories and phrases come out of my mouth, the kind I would always hear from teachers and think to myself, "I WILL NEVER SAY THAT." I was ashamed of myself but I didn't know what to do about it. I took a couple of days off work last week to go to the Grand Canyon -- that was nice, but not the cure. I planned to go camping over spring break, but that's still a week away. And then this week I had to call in sick. Not just one, but two days in a row.

Now, this was very embarrassing for me. I don't like to ask for help, and even though asking for a substitute teacher is a pretty normal thing to do, I would far rather not. But there was nothing else to be done, and so I slept all that day and wished I could sleep all night. And the same on the next day, except I was just tired, not achy. So I planned to go to school the next day, hopefully, if my voice would hold out and I wasn't coughing my lungs out. The morning seemed a little iffy, but I went anyways.

It was the most fantastic day! The sky was blue, it was so wonderful to be back with my students again, I was able to take interruptions in stride instead of getting all frustrated, and I was just so happy all day. I wondered if maybe I was high on cough syrup. :-) But really, I was just high on life. It is so incredibly beautiful to be alive, to be able to smile at someone in the office, to feel the wind on your face, to hear a bird singing from a tree, to laugh at a child's antics, to dash to deliver letters in time, to see a baby's slow-dawning smile. It is wonderful to see a dog's graceful lope, to feel the bumps of washboarding under your bike tires, to see the glowing sunset and feel the red sand underfoot. It is incredible to be able to take all these joys straight to the Creator who gives them to us, instead of wondering to whom we owe the wonders of life.

Life is beautiful. My job is wonderful. And most of all, Daddy in heaven, you are the most powerful, radiant, joy-giving person in my life. To know that I needed to stop for a few days and to give me a nasty cold to force me to do it - thanks. I hope I remember this lesson, that the difference between bitter boredom and intense joy is gratefulness for the gift of life. Speaking of the gift -- Happy Easter!