For three or four days now I have had a loathsome head cold. You’ve had them too–miserable, disgusting, abhorrent, vile head colds.

In the midst of nose blowing and watery eyes and hoarsened voice, we pray, miserably, "Lord! Please take this stuff away!" Nothing wrong with that prayer. But since, in my case, He usually waits a few days and allows the wonderful healing process He has engineered into our bodies to run its course, I think it safe to assume that there are lessons for me to learn!

Here are seven that come to mind. I have a hunch that after I have uploaded this post, God will remind me of others that I left out. (But, after all, I do have a head cold. My brain isn’t firing on all cylinders.)

1) I need to let this be a time to identify a little better with others whose health is chronically poor. When I don’t feel like thinking, or writing, or talking, or interacting with anyone for a day or two, I need to learn to appreciate all those who feel rotten all the time but who must do those things anyway for the rest of their lives.

2) I need to be thankful for all the times that I feel as well as I do. If I don’t feel as great as I used to, I can still be grateful knowing that there are so many others who are suffering so much more.

3) I need to use this old cold to remind me that my body is weak and in the process of wearing out. There will definitely come a day when my heart quits pumping. But that thought should trigger a reminder that there is coming a day when I will have an immortal body that will never get sick or wear out! There’s going to be a great resurrection! When all the dead in Christ will rise with incorruptible bodies! "Yea, God! What an awesome plan You have purposed! I am so glad I’m Yours!"

4) I need to realize that things can turn out just fine even when I don’t feel up to "being busy as a bee," or "going like a house afire," or "charging ahead like gangbusters." Sometimes God seems enjoy saying, "Hey! You need to slow down just a bit."

5) I need to be thankful for people in my life who really care that I am sick. Sure, they’ve been sick too. A lot sicker. But they are truly sorry that I am feeling rotten and praying that I will quickly recover. God bless them!

6) I need to be especially thankful for a wife who puts up with me with grace and kindness and who is willing to "pamper" me a little extra when she knows I’m not feeling well. Wow! What an incredible blessing she is!

7) Next time someone I know is sick, I need to care! I need to pray that God will heal him or her. But also that they will learn the same lessons I need to be learning now!

(See! It happened! I published this about 30 minutes ago, and the Lord said, "Son, you’d better add this one."

8 ) It is so much easier for me to be cranky, irritable, and difficult when I’m feeling lousy. So what a fabulous opportunity a head cold is to learn to respond graciously and humbly to my "sources of irritation!"

Ah! Here is another!

9 ) Right in the midst of a yucky head cold is a great time to remember that ALL times are good times to praise the Lord and rejoice in Him!