As I write, my oldest son is tucked up in bed with chicken pox. He told me he had it yesterday and ever the sympathetic mother I didn’t believe him, I needed proof! Of course he had some insider knowledge at that point, that it had been going round his class. 12 hours later the proof manifested and said child is now home from school for the next week. Holiday plans now feel rather tenuous to say the least, given his brothers have now also been exposed to the infection.
So why am I writing about chicken pox especially when I am no medical practitioner and have no new news on how to deal with chicken pox (if you have though, feel free to let me know!)? I write because as with most things that come unexpectedly across my path, it makes me think! It made me think of how quickly infectious diseases can spread from person to person, household to household, town to town and therefore make a significant impact. It challenged me as to whether I could be a contagious Christian and spread the Gospel of the Good News as effectively as it seems Chicken Pox has spread through my son’s classroom.
Are we contagious as Christians? Do we radiate the presence of God around us? The resurrection power of our Lord Jesus can manifest through us to touch others. We can shift the atmosphere around us – where we work, when we are with friends and family, when we are out and about. As with the Apostle Peter – he radiated the glory of God so much that people were healed through his shadow alone! I’d say that’s being amazingly contagious for Jesus!
“People brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some them as he passed by.” (Acts 5:15)
If I really believe that the Spirit of God radiates from me, then the closer I get to others, the more they will feel Him. What if God purposefully placed me in the situations I face for something other than what I am expecting? If I focus only on my own issues, I will miss the purpose and the intentions of God that are higher and greater than mine.
So I’m challenged today on two fronts, one – to help my son get through the chicken pox with minimum discomfort and two – to pray that I might be more contagious in my faith.
Blue Skies & Lollipops 