Appreciation
Sickness finally made its winter visit through our home, and the church, last month. Two out of our three kids were sick for a couple of weeks. My wife was sick. A few days later, I was sick too. Sometimes those sick days can provide great lessons.
For example, I learned to appreciate my wife. For the couple of days her illness reached its climax she was glued to the couch with a fever, aches and all the trimmings. Not good for a dad with three little kids.
I spent the day changing diapers, making meals, washing dishes and kids (not at the same time), doing laundry and trying to work on Bible class material while holding a baby with one hand and breaking up fights between my 2- and 4-year old with the other hand. Oh, and praying for mom.
It reminded me of the joke where the dad comes home and always questions what his wife does all day. So, one day he comes home and there are toys all over the place, dirty dishes stacked up in the sink, clothes piled up in the laundry room, beds unmade, kids running around in their pajamas with diapers to their knees. The house looks like a war zone. So, the dad asks, “what has been going on here?” The mom says, “You know how you always want to know what I do all day, well, today I decided not to do it!”
It is easy not to appreciate the simple things people regularly do for us. Sometimes you do not know how important those people are until they are gone or unable to do those things. So, my suggestion: thank the people in your life who do their job regularly to help improve your life and tell them how much you appreciate them.
Think about it.
February 2006