Above It All

Have you ever been "under the weather" ... wherever that is? Well, that phrase "under the weather" originated in the 1800s as language used by sailors. They would go below deck to escape the weather and recover when they were feeling seasick or unwell. Well, yeah, we've all been sick and felt the misery that oft comes with it including the despair and gloom of its presence. Paul spent his final days in [what most scholars believe] Rome's Mamertine prison, which is best described as dim, dank and dirty. If ever there was an "under the weather" sorta place, it was there! These are just a few of the things he wrote [in 2 Timothy] from that under-the-weather place to young Timothy who was serving in Ephesus: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father ... I constantly remember you in my prayers ... be strong and empowered in the grace in Christ Jesus. Paul wasn't shrinking under his conditions - he was actually flourishing! Instead of focusing on himself and his own dank-dim-dirty circumstances, his eyes were on Christ and what He was doing outside of those prison walls. What a lesson here for us as we face varying under-the-weather times of spirit and soul. There's opportunities in all circumstances to actually, like Paul, be the one who refreshes and inspires others. Yes, those under-the-weather times are when we should flourish and actually live ... above it all!