The Boswell family is working on the fifth day of a horrible who-knows-how-long sickness marathon. The relay started with me leading the way for the first three days, then handing off to Hannah-Grace. Her remarkable ability to project upon walls and doors is nothing but spectacular (really it took me forever to clean it up). Then Kimberly grabbed hold of those little germs and then handed it to the boys. We all went to our various doctors (yes even me), and then waited at various pharmacies for our various meds.

Isaac seemed to not be affected until his doctor just happened to look in his ears (since we were all there), and he had double ear infections. In his left ear was some wax, so Dr. T. had to dig it out. It was at this point, that after four kids we had a first. Isaac struggled so hard while I was holding him that the capillaries burst in the side of his face and around his eyes. You can Google “stippling” – but that is what it reminded me of – tiny pin point red dots all over the side of his face.

Today Isaac’s sickness kicked in at 3:30am, and as I sat down to write this at 9:20pm, he is just coming out of it. He threw up all day, every 15-20 minutes. Kimberly and I are exhausted and both still not over our hand-off of the bug.

This past Sunday we began a sermon series entitled “A Frayed Religion.” It is an expository series based on the book of Job. I have asked for eight volunteers to share how God has carried them through a very difficult time in their life and so far we have seven out of the eight weeks covered. Jenny B. started us off last Sunday and she did a wonderful ‘job.’ What made her testimony so powerful was that she was so transparent and honest, and gave God all the glory.

To be honest preaching this book is going to be very difficult for me. Even at 34, I still feel like I am young and have so much to learn about God. There are people in our congregation that have gone through such deep and debilitating life crises that anything I have been through seems quaint. So I point them to Job and his suffering and to a God who love them, and I get out of the way.

I have finished my sermon for Sunday (chapter two) and there is so much there. It feels like a burden that I have to get off my chest; like a burning in my chest. It is also like throwing a handful of darts in the air knowing that the darts will fall in the crowd and cause pain for those they hit. But there is no way of knowing who the darts will fall on. The study of the book will cause grief for some and prayerfully will be a healing balm for others.

Job is such a beautiful book; I pray that I will do it justice as a preacher.

Here’s the order:
March 1st, Job 1
March 8th, Job 2
March 15th, Job 3-14
March 22nd, Job 15-21
March 29th, Job 22-31
April 5th, Job 32-37
April 12th, Easter
April 19th, Job 38:1-42:6
April 26th, Job 42:7-17