Can You Smell?

Well, we are working on our third cold in almost as many months. When I say we, I mean the WHOLE family. This is the worst one I have had in years. I literally cannot smell or taste a thing. I cannot remember ever not being able to smell or taste at least a little bit. I've tried cayenne pepper, salsa, Chinese food, horseradish, nothing is coming through except the sensation on my tongue. I tried Vicks under my nose and on my neck. I can FEEL the coolness but not smell a thing. So weird. So irritating. I hate it when my body isn't functioning like it should. It reminded me though, of the verse that talks about how we are the Body of Christ. When we aren't doing what we were designed to do, when we are not in the role God gave us, the Body doesn't function like it should. How irritating must THAT be to Jesus? He gives us a perfect place to serve, to suit our gifting and temperaments and we whine and complain that we aren't something else and sit on our butts, not using what He has given us, and the rest of the Body suffers because of it. The Body TRIES to compensate for what is missing, but it's really hard for an ear to take the place of an eye, or a hand, or a foot. God designed us certain ways for a reason. Some of us are introverts, some extroverts,some idealists and some realists, some go by their guts and some plan for months. God places us in the Body, to fulfill the plans He has for us, not  necessarily to fulfill the plans we have for ourselves. How do we discover what our role in the Body is? By serving. We can take spiritual gift inventories and do studies on our "S.H.A.P.E" but until we serve, we will not be able to see if we fit. Or if we just manipulated the results to make us what we would LIKE to be. If you are not involved in your local Body (a.k.a. church) , GET INVOLVED. The Body will not function correctly without you. Let's not be the servant that buries the talent he is given, may we be the servant that invests it wisely.