I am not feeling great 🤢

Hi Friends,

This week has been quite challenging for me. I was very unwell, probably the sickest I've been in a long time. I’m not sure if it was food poisoning (which would be self-inflicted!) or was it a stomach bug. Regardless of its origin, this pestilence severely disrupted my week. It started with a fever on Monday, which thankfully broke, but the lingering effects left me feeling unwell for many days, and I still don’t feel great as I write this. Everything seemed to have a grey shroud over it as I stumbled through the week feeling horrible. I couldn’t really eat, though I tried to force myself to do so, which was unpleasant. Despite being hungry, my stomach was constantly sore and churning. You get the picture – I was unhappy, sick, and miserable.

Not the best time, you might say, to be doing an introduction to gliding course! Remarkably, I got up on Friday and managed to do three flights. People were asking why I wasn’t eating lunch during the day. Well, you dear readers now know why! I thought it would be better for the cockpit if I didn't eat.

You might wonder why I’m sharing this story, especially since these emails are about gratitude, not the complaints of a sick man! But maybe there is a point to my ravings. We often take health for granted. When you get up in the morning uninhibited, full of energy to go about your day without feeling weighed down or saddened by illness, you are BLESSED! As someone who is not feeling well as I write this, I genuinely believe what I am saying. If you can eat whatever you want, if you have an appetite, if you feel full of life, take a moment to say thanks to God for bestowing health, vitality, and strength upon you. Health is our natural state, the way we are made. When we are sick, we are not in our natural state, and we realise what a gift it is to be healthy which we of course like many things we take for granted.

I am one of the lucky ones. For the most part, I’m pretty healthy. This year, I did not miss a single day of work due to illness. God willing, this will pass, and I can go about my life with a sense of joy that my illness has been relieved and my energy is restored. I’m already excited thinking about it.

 Reflection 🤔

Let’s take a moment to think about all those people in hospitals all over the world dealing with illness and how it makes life so miserable and painful. We pray that these patients and their families keep their hope and faith that they will be healed. Reflect on your own health and wellbeing. Take this moment as a reminder to appreciate your vitality and energy. Think about how you can make the most of your healthy days. What activities, goals, or experiences can you pursue with the strength you have? Use this appreciation of your health as motivation to live more fully and joyfully.

Have a Blessed Week 🚀

God Bless 🙏

Mike.