I went to my doctor to get a professional’s opinion about my health issue. I self-medicated the week before, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I got in this mess. It was a pleasant check up with our kind doctor. She told me that I had a virus and that I needed to take antibiotics. She said I needed time off to rest and I had to be isolated because I was contagious. I thanked the doctor and went on my way. The doctor’s advice got me thinking. You could always find positive and negative things in our circumstances. It’s just a matter of looking for it. Let’s break down my situation for example. We will start with the good news first. I get to spend three days in isolation meaning I could give my body the rest it needed. Man, I was feeling stressed for a few weeks now. I knew I should have filed for time-off, but I didn’t. My body hit the timeout button, and now I had to take the leave I’ve always needed, less the enjoyment that comes along with a planned holiday. Now for the bad news. There’s a long list. Being sick is among them of course, but isolation was also the worst part of the experience for me. I limited my conversations with my family. I had to take time away from my wife and my baby. I had to sleep in a different room. I had to look at my baby’s eyes when he comes to me, and I ask someone else to hold him. I had to watch him cry and reach for me. I had to turn my back on my weeping child and go back to my secluded room with tears in my eyes and pain in my heart. Sticking to looking for positive things in hard times, I could say that the lessons from our circumstances can be a good thing as well. For example, I have a few key takeaways from this sickness and they are: 1. I have to be more responsible with my health. Sleep right, eat right, exercise, drink lots of water and be consistent with my devotions to God. 2. I can find good things every situation like we discussed. 3. If I could resist the need of holding my baby, I can find the strength to resist temptations. This is still a work in progress. The Bible says: 1 Peter 5:10 New International Version (NIV) 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. We suffer for a while, but God will restore us. After each trial we will come out stronger and wiser. And because of this, we praise God in sickness and in health, in good times and the bad. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!