A Smirky Feeling



Last Tuesday night I came down with the stomach flu. My friend expressed the way I think just about everyone feels when this happens, “…stomach flu that’s the worst”

Well by Wednesday morning the worst was over but I still felt crummy. As I lay in bed that morning listening to my ipod I hit that point… you know the “moan” point. When the situation seems to just beckon for a good moan, no one’s there but that moan would really express just how you feel!  

Well as I considered this moan I could have, a smirky feeling came over me and I got the greatest idea. I could moan but that would be kind of short lived, if I wanted to have a lot of fun I could sing and pray instead! Now I know that doesn’t sound that exciting at all! But follow me on this! I could moan and feel sorry for myself and no human would scold me, but what fun would that be? Instead I could relish in the pleasure, that even though I was flat on my back, sick in bed, I could still stick it to the enemy! And let me tell you, I had a wonderful time! I was just giddy with delight as I sang along to my ipod and prayed! Now I know this sounds really religious and saintly! But trust me, being the “Ideal” Christian was not my motive at all. I wasn’t doing that pray and rejoice when you don’t feel like it thing. For at that moment I felt like singing and praying because I love to rub in the fact that Jesus wins!

As I did this I couldn’t help but consider the story of Paul and Silas when they sang in prison. I always read about these people in the Bible and aspire to follow the Lord as they did but who could ever possibly be like Paul!?! But perhaps Paul wasn’t some superhuman all religious and saintly, maybe he just got a smirky feeling.

Picture it, Paul and Silas, chained and beaten, lying in a cold dark prison cell. Suddenly that “moan” moment comes to Paul, and no one would scold him, but then a smirky feeling overtakes him and he says,

“Silas?”

“Yeah Paul?” Silas replies weakly.

“I just got the greatest idea,”

“What?”

“Let’s sing.”

“Paul, are you feeling okay?”

“No, I feel just as awful as you, but I’ll never stop fighting, just think of the fun we’ll have! The enemy thought he’d silenced us, but this is just gettin’ us started.”

“Yeah, let’s do it Paul!”

So the next time that “moan” moment comes along, stop… and consider all the fun you could have!