Are You Glued to Your Couch?

She was lying on the couch with a flushed face. Feeling her body, it was very hot, so out came the thermometer and the Covid test kit. Yes, Willow had a temperature, but no the Covid test was negative. For now, anyway. It will be needed to be used a few times over the coming days to check.

So, no more school for now. She was not up to it anyway. Over the coming days her symptoms escalated but the worst thing was the persistent cough. It appeared to just be the flu or a heavy cold. It was very phlegmy and made her vomit a few times. Often in children this is one of the ways the body gets rid of the phlegm. Not good for Mum or Dad though in cleaning it all up.

So, for the first few days Willow was not interested in going to school but as she improved, every day she asked Mum if she could go. As you can tell she loves school. Lying on the couch was not something she now wanted to do. But her cough persisted and so staying at home continued.

Two weeks on her cough was better but then she broke out in school sores. The doctor stated after looking at her and prescribing medicine that she was contagious till the sores healed, so no school. Willow was bouncing off the walls with energy that had returned. But alas no school yet. Maybe by the end of the week. So, Mum and Dad occupied her with activities.

On one of the days later in that week, when Mum was home, she asked Willow to help her with a chore. Willow was no longer sick, just recovering from the sores and replied to Mum, “I can’t someone has glued me to the couch.” I chuckled to myself when I heard this.

When she literally was stuck on the couch with sickness, she wanted to get up and go do something, anything, but when she was better, the couch was her friend.

Are we not the same at times?

Not happy where we are, how we are, how our lives are going? Wish we could do, could be somewhere else. Just not here. Often being self-centred. Not caring about others. We often take the easy way out. Someone asks for volunteers at Church, at our sports clubs, in our family and we bring up every excuse we can to not help.

Now I know this is not everyone. There are some who have the gift of helps. They thrive on helping others, on Volunteering. There are others who would like to help but can’t. Truly are not able. But there are many who selfishly don’t want to bother. If it is not helping them, they say no. It’s too hard to organize, to change their timetable, their day for others.

It made me question my Charity, my intentions to give help if I could where needed.

They just recently had over 1000 CEO’s of companies sleep out in the cold with the homeless. To raise money and awareness of the plight of the homeless, with not just all the staff of these particular companies but anyone watching the news. They raised over 8 million dollars!

Maybe I was not able to raise much money for them myself but even just a little helps.

What can you do? If not for the homeless, for the lonely next-door neighbour? Could you go visit? Could you make them a meal?

Or are we glued to our couches? And can’t be bothered.

Could we pray? All of it matters.

Jesus did say,

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:12 NRSV

We are also reminded,

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:16 NRSV

So, as I am asking myself the same question I ask you – What can you do?

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do you become discontent with where you are in life at times?

What opportunities to help have you knocked back because you couldn’t be bothered?

Where could you help those in need? Where is God prompting you?