Picking Up The Mat

You may be surprised to know that today, 3 weeks to the day after receiving my diagnosis, I am 2 days into a 4 day work conference in Southern California. I do realize the irony that my previous post was about being still and resting... In response I will quote the '60's rock group The Byrds and, more importantly, the writer of Ecclesiastes by saying, "To everything there is a season...". I find myself in a transitional season of needing to both be still and to just get up and go!

There is something very therapeutic about feeling well enough to be sitting in this seat. Not only is it satisfying to know that I'm going to be better at my job because of this, it is a bit of a victory to be up and out. I made a statement on facebook last week that I am choosing to live by, "Having a sickness does not automatically mean that I have to be sickly." Yes, there will be days that I just don't feel good and being still is the only option. But, other days when I feel good I want to make sure that I am enjoying life and/or getting things done!

What is your struggle? Try putting it into that statement...
Short Temper/angry?
Depression/sad?
Financial issue/poor
Anxiety/nervous
Insecurity/lonely
Fear/afraid
etc.

"Having a _______ does not automatically mean that I have to be ______________."

Let's talk for a moment about someone in the Bible who really had a struggle... He couldn't walk (he was lame- I can identify with being "lame" once in awhile, how about you? Pun. Intended.) Bear with me because my theology might break down a little. This guy got healed and some of us may be FAR FROM healing. But, as long as we are in process there is a nugget here that I am taking hold of. This guy had a struggle that he brought to Jesus. Let's focus on what Jesus said to him as he did it, "Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”" (John 5:8) Jesus was the son of God. He could have just said get up and walk, but he didn't- he added that pick up your mat part. That mat represented something, it represented what Jesus had freed him from. It was a reminder of where he had been before he gave that struggle to Jesus. When people asked him about why he was still carrying the mat it became a perfect opportunity for him to tell people about what Jesus had done. Having a mat did not automatically mean that he was still lame!! It was a symbol of how far he had come!

So here I am at PowerSchool University (promising to take a nap if I need it) and I have picked up my mat. I will sit on that mat and tell someone about it if needed, but my mat does not define me. What is your  mat? How will you use it, today, to point to Jesus?