» Home Drop | Word Relish | Spiritual Drop | Jesuit Links
Home Drop | Scenic Drop | Prodigal Mother | Spiritual Drop | Word Relish | Writer | Help | Privacy Policy

Friday, July 18, 2008

Paradoxically Healing Power Of Illness

I have not had a debilitating fever for a long time now. It is as if a new experience again to me to be secluded in my room and grapple with a supposedly normal viral episode in the midst of my busy days of school and work.

First of all I am very grateful for this virus, whatever it is, for allowing me to find time again now with you and share a bit of my reflections while I am recuperating. I know you will resonate with me when I say this, that often times the only thing that we need in this confusing world of ours is to stop, to just stop even for a while. Take a pause and look at the few essentials in your life and before you know it you find all of a sudden an answer to your many questions. I remember a book that I read a few years back entitled The Alchemy of Illness which talks about the pradoxically transforming and healing power of illness.

Now I just need to stop by virtue of obedience to my superiors, the harshest of them often times is our doctor superior who tell us to cut down on this or that, if you want to continue living.

For my case it is just total bed rest. I tell you it is hard for a person like me to obey such a harmeless command. It may look so simple and harmless, but I think this may just be the simple cure we need to combat all of life's illnesses.

I do not know how long this viral episode will take its own course. I try to research in the internet but there is just so many people talking differently about the same symptom. But I am sure only of one thing that came to me just now, that no one is indispensable, no one is exempted from the often far off reality of death.

I realized I am so fragile, breakable. And this could happen anytime.

Lord, thank you for this reminder again to me and to every human being. No one is in control except You alone. No amount of apostolic work we do can change that. No amount of faithfulness and infidelity could change that too. In the end we have no other way to go except to go back to You. And be forever in Your embrace.