"Many are called, but few are chosen." With those Biblical words the speaker pointed out the difficult journey to get where we are, and just how special we apparently are. I am in an orientation event in a prestigious computer industry, taking my cue from the Apostle Paul, who said, "Those who do not work, do not eat." I will discover though, that the food - sopa de ajo, pork with cashew nuts, golden banana rolls (turon), iced tea - will be the least of my worries today.
The presentation is proceeding flawlessly, but there is one thing that is irritating me - the temperature. Last check, the concierge (the orientation is held in a hotel) lowered the room temperature from 16 to 27, but the cold is still making me appear to be in a partial state of epilepsy. Chattering teeth, shivering limbs... I look like an electroshock victim. The people around me battle the subzero situation by sneaking off to the bathroom, maximizing the use of the hand dryer.
I have to confess, I am not a stocky man. In fact, I would probably win in a competition against Calista Flockhart and Gandhi on who can show their skeleton without an X-ray. Silly me, with this storm season, I brought a windbreaker with a hood instead of an eskimo suit. The windbreaker and an umbrella peek at me mockingly from the inside of my bag, as if to say, "Nothing will save you now!" with accompanying "evil villain" laughter. Work is driving me crazy, it seems. But then again, as Solomon said, "That's nothing new."
Interestingly, the body does crazy things to achieve balance. Pretty soon, I'm hearing Beyonce's "Fever" in my mind. Yes, the extreme cold activated my body's Vesuvius response. The trek home is unbearable - weak knees, high fever, sniffling and dizziness. Yes, God was reminding me at this point that the journey is difficult, and we are special. But most importantly, God was reminding me that I did nothing on my own. This is all part of His plans for me, "to prosper [me]... to give [me] hope and a future." So - To God be the glory. Good news: I have the weekend off. Thank God for small miracles. Throughout the weekend, God will be reminding me that He is my Healer, as well.
