Working When You're Sick
Too many of us go to work when we're sick. I'm talking really sick, like with the flu, where we wind up making everyone else sick. What's up with that?
Please, you're not really thinking that the boss will reward you for your gumption? Oh, he would? In fact, you're afraid your career will lose some luster if you call in sick when it's obviously really necessary? Maybe you should think about moving your shining career to some other employer.
Of course, most of the time when we get sick, it's not all that big a deal. You get a cold, you cough a bit, you're kind of tired...you go to work. Naturally, you don't want to make yourself get really sick by overdoing it, but you likely can "get through" a few days in this state.
Okay, so now you're there at your post, dutifully handling your appointed tasks. But, really, it's a struggle. Even coffee won't keep you sharp as the day wears on. You start to flag. You push through to the end of the day, but it turned out to be a bit tougher than you thought it might be.
But, hey, Catholic, you've got a great opportunity here. You got one of those "silver platter" graces that God sends to us occasionally. You get to pause from time to time and "offer up" your struggles. You likely do that in reparation for sin, maybe (highly recommended) for the suffering souls in Purgatory.
Yes, it's not a horrible suffering or terrible blow when you're a bit sick. But don't just dismiss this with one of your "tough guy" stances. You get no credit for "sucking it up" with God. He'd rather hear you acknowledge your difficulty and your struggle. He's all about honesty and forthrightness, after all. Posing in front of God makes no sense. Tell Him how you feel. Admit it's a struggle. Then offer it up.
Of course, you don't have to admit anything like this to anyone else. You can play tough guy with your boss and your co-workers if you want. Just not God. In fact, take it one more step. Unite yourself to Our Blessed Lord on His Cross. Right: on His Cross. Think this is excessive or some sort of exaggeration?
What did you think? You have to be crucified to unite yourself to Our Lord? Sure, some of us have faced horrors that might be close to crucifixion. Saints and martyrs spring to mind. But remember, even they didn't experience anything remotely close to the sufferings of Our Lord. And many martyrs and saints who suffered terribly knew just that. If you read writings of those who suffered, or descriptions of them written by others, you're immediately struck by the fact that these holy folks didn't think they suffered anything close to what Our Lord suffered. They felt honored to be able to suffer for His sake.
So what about you? Your not crazy enough to desire to be confronted with anything like crucifixion are you? Good. But that doesn't mean you just let this chance slip through your fingers. Yes, you might argue that your cold is more "discomfort" than suffering. You might think you're just struggling a bit. But this is just the sort of "everyday" suffering (even if it's in the form of "mere" discomfort or struggling) that Our Lord would like to see you offer up to Him. Even better if you unite yourself to Him hanging there in front of you on that crucifix. That's why we Catholics own and venerate crucifixes. It's not just to occasionally gaze on them to remind us of what He suffered for us. It's so that we actually love Him more by not just tolerating our own discomfort and suffering, but offering it up to Him there.
And, listen, don't think for a minute He'll somehow turn His nose up at such an offering. Can you imagine such a thing? Really? His love so surpasses anything we can even imagine in our wildest dreams in its fullness and intensity that, like all true love, it responds to the overtures of the beloved (that's us) instantly. Got that? Instantly. Just 'cause you might be a bit slow on the draw when it comes to responding to loving acts by, let's say, your wife, or your kids, or your best friend (Imagine that?), don't project that onto Our Lord.
So if and when you get sick (and sorry if you're sick right now), please remember this.
Please, you're not really thinking that the boss will reward you for your gumption? Oh, he would? In fact, you're afraid your career will lose some luster if you call in sick when it's obviously really necessary? Maybe you should think about moving your shining career to some other employer.
Of course, most of the time when we get sick, it's not all that big a deal. You get a cold, you cough a bit, you're kind of tired...you go to work. Naturally, you don't want to make yourself get really sick by overdoing it, but you likely can "get through" a few days in this state.
Okay, so now you're there at your post, dutifully handling your appointed tasks. But, really, it's a struggle. Even coffee won't keep you sharp as the day wears on. You start to flag. You push through to the end of the day, but it turned out to be a bit tougher than you thought it might be.
But, hey, Catholic, you've got a great opportunity here. You got one of those "silver platter" graces that God sends to us occasionally. You get to pause from time to time and "offer up" your struggles. You likely do that in reparation for sin, maybe (highly recommended) for the suffering souls in Purgatory.
Yes, it's not a horrible suffering or terrible blow when you're a bit sick. But don't just dismiss this with one of your "tough guy" stances. You get no credit for "sucking it up" with God. He'd rather hear you acknowledge your difficulty and your struggle. He's all about honesty and forthrightness, after all. Posing in front of God makes no sense. Tell Him how you feel. Admit it's a struggle. Then offer it up.
Of course, you don't have to admit anything like this to anyone else. You can play tough guy with your boss and your co-workers if you want. Just not God. In fact, take it one more step. Unite yourself to Our Blessed Lord on His Cross. Right: on His Cross. Think this is excessive or some sort of exaggeration?
What did you think? You have to be crucified to unite yourself to Our Lord? Sure, some of us have faced horrors that might be close to crucifixion. Saints and martyrs spring to mind. But remember, even they didn't experience anything remotely close to the sufferings of Our Lord. And many martyrs and saints who suffered terribly knew just that. If you read writings of those who suffered, or descriptions of them written by others, you're immediately struck by the fact that these holy folks didn't think they suffered anything close to what Our Lord suffered. They felt honored to be able to suffer for His sake.
So what about you? Your not crazy enough to desire to be confronted with anything like crucifixion are you? Good. But that doesn't mean you just let this chance slip through your fingers. Yes, you might argue that your cold is more "discomfort" than suffering. You might think you're just struggling a bit. But this is just the sort of "everyday" suffering (even if it's in the form of "mere" discomfort or struggling) that Our Lord would like to see you offer up to Him. Even better if you unite yourself to Him hanging there in front of you on that crucifix. That's why we Catholics own and venerate crucifixes. It's not just to occasionally gaze on them to remind us of what He suffered for us. It's so that we actually love Him more by not just tolerating our own discomfort and suffering, but offering it up to Him there.
And, listen, don't think for a minute He'll somehow turn His nose up at such an offering. Can you imagine such a thing? Really? His love so surpasses anything we can even imagine in our wildest dreams in its fullness and intensity that, like all true love, it responds to the overtures of the beloved (that's us) instantly. Got that? Instantly. Just 'cause you might be a bit slow on the draw when it comes to responding to loving acts by, let's say, your wife, or your kids, or your best friend (Imagine that?), don't project that onto Our Lord.
So if and when you get sick (and sorry if you're sick right now), please remember this.
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