Over 20 years ago, I lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina serving a Full Time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.   While I was serving, I ended up really sick with Bronchitis which then turned into Pneumonia.   Battling the sickness out of my native country and trying to serve the Lord at the same time was one of the most challenging moments in my life.

Unfortunately, since then, almost at least once a year, when I catch a common cold I’m susceptible to getting both strep and bronchitis.    This past week I’ve had the joy of having both.   Strep was so bad that I was ready to just rip my tonsils right out (yes, I’m one of the few adults who still have their tonsils) and now I’m dealing with a lovely bronchial infection that is making my lungs feel like they’re going to collapse!

There have been multiple moments that I tell myself, I am so sick of being sick!   Yet at the same time, I need to remind myself, how lucky I am to only have the sickness that I have.   Their are always others out there that have it worse that I have it.   In the end, we are given our temporal and spiritual challenges in order to grow, learn, sympathize and empathize with those that are around us.   If anything, being so sick this week has given me (or should I say given those around me) opportunities!   My awesome wife has had the ‘opportunity‘ to serve me; care for me; love me.  My kids have had the opportunity to bring me stuff and do the the things I normally would do around the house.

Being sick this week gave two priesthood holders the opportunity to perform a priesthood ordinance (which by the way was so powerful that it gave me a moment and break in my day to attend sacrament meeting yesterday!).   My sickness will provide opportunity for my doctor to earn some money; my co-workers opportunity to work more; my family opportunity to serve more.  etc. etc.

So, next time you say to yourself, ‘I’m Sick of being Sick’, step back, look at the big picture and tell yourself, ‘How Sick it is to be Sick!’