A Sick Day, A Good Day

Last updated on: June 18, 2021 at 10:17 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

A Sick Day, A Good Day 2021-06-18T10:17:43-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A bit of personal history and a small point:

Once, just once, there was a splendid sick day.

When I was a boy, Mom and Dad never questioned a request for a sick day. I did not like being sick and would get to school if at all possible. Going to school seemed my job and a man did his job: that was basic. There is good to this, but also folly. Once I remember needing to get to the bathroom, leaving class, and leaning against the wall to get there in time. This was my own Kobayashi Maru:

If I made it, I still would be sick, have to excuse myself again, and so have to go home.
If I did not make it, I would be a mess and so have to go home.

Reader, I went home.

This was a no-win scenario, because a sick day was not like a Saturday. If a boy was sick enough to go home, then he was too sick to have fun. Television in my era was limited to four channels and during the day they showed nothing of any interest to a lad. There were “soap operas” and a few game shows. The commercials were better. I love reading better than anything, but reading (unlike a screen) is all consuming. If I was too sick to go to school, I was generally too sick to read. Unless one slept the day away, the hours dragged on, even the imagination can falter in an illness.*

Mom woke me up one morning and my cheeks were bright red. She checked out my arms and they were covered in red blotches. This was odd as I felt fine. These were the days when a doctor was down the street with an office in his house and so to the doctor’s house we went. The diagnosis was Victorian, perhaps Fifth’s Disease, perhaps not, but home I was sent.

Duty done: If the doctor said go home, then home you had to go.

This was glorious, because my brother also had this glorious disease: red blotches, no other symptoms. We looked odd, but we felt fine. We read, played games, ate treats. Mom made us soup with saltine crackers. We drank ginger ale with straws. These were the good parts of being sick with none of the sickness. We looked weird, but were too young to care.

That was a sick day, but a good day.

This side of heaven, where every day is a bit of a sick day, is about as good as it gets. We are never perfectly well with everything functioning as designed. There are days, foretastes of paradise, when our general problems are slight and our health is good and all of this happens on a holiday. The treats are good, the games pleasant, much jollification ensues. These holy days are how things should be, if things were not broken, and how they will be, only more so.

God is moving all things to perfection, the final end of goodness, perfect beauty, and everlasting truth. Our duties will be done. There will be no need to try. The good news is that this is reality at the deepest level now. The plan is in motion and the great deed accomplished when Jesus came. If I stop, look to Jesus, then this sick day can be a good day, too.

Thank God.

—————-

Obviously if one is contagious one should not go out and give others a disease. I can only say that this aspect of disease occurred to me sometime in middle school.

Culture

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

June 10, 2021

The Ascension: Summation of the Christian Life (Guest Voice-Bishop Thomas)

Next Post

June 17, 2021 Our Scientific Salvation Will Be The Death Of Us (Guest Voice: Eric Holloway)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the rainbow a sign of in the flood story?

Select your answer to see how you score.

God's promise Danger War Famine

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »