Today was a small day. A quiet day. A day mostly spent in bed, drifting in and out of sleep while the rest of the house fought off the same lingering illness. Some of the family managed to make it to church, but I simply didn’t have the strength. My world was reduced to pillows, blankets, and the slow passing of hours.

Later in the afternoon, Chris returned home with Radek—and with them came an unexpected blessing: KFC from Poland. It’s funny how something so ordinary can feel so comforting when you’re sick. More than the food, it was good just to see a friend. But even that short visit drained what little energy I had, and I found myself back in bed almost immediately afterward.

From my perspective, there isn’t much else to say about the day. No ministry stories. No travel. No meetings. Just weakness, rest, and the hope that tomorrow will be better.

Psalm 73:26 says: “My flesh and my heart may fail…” Today, they certainly did. Illness has a way of reminding us how fragile we are, how dependent we are, how little control we actually hold.

But the verse doesn’t end there. “…but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Strength doesn’t always look like activity. Sometimes it looks like endurance. Sometimes it looks like rest. Sometimes it looks like simply holding on to the truth that God is present even when we are not productive, not energetic, not able to do much at all.

My prayer tonight is simple: a quick recovery, renewed strength, and the ability to be more active before we head home. But even if my body continues to fail for a little while longer, I’m grateful that God’s strength does not.

For now, I rest in that.
Caio,

Pastor Doug