"Welcome to our world. You're mortal just like the rest of us. And, I don't feel bad for you."

In the midst of me whining, my roommate offered no sympathy. Instead she reminded me that I human, and that I too have my limitations.  Due to prolonged recovery from a series of illnesses, I've recently been faced with challenges I've never experienced before.

1. Sleep deprivation- normally I am well rested and ready to go after 4-6 hours of sleep. Any less, I need caffeine. Any more, I feel groggy. 
2. Memorization/Studying-  I have semi-photographic memory, which means I remember things the way I see them. When studying for tests, I don't memorize the information- I make an outline and I remember writing it and the way it looked on the page. 

via wikicommons

The problem: recently I have needed at least 8 hours of sleep and I have done poorly on tests because my mental pictures are reappearing rather cloudy (kinda like the photo). I need more rest and more time to study. For me, it's been a strange and unnerving few weeks because my body and my mind are not functioning the way I am used to them working.

Learned laziness. A psychological term used to describe the learned behavior that one can obtain a desired reward without exerting much effort. If one learns the amount of effort required for a certain reward, one will satisfy that minimum threshold. No additional effort will be exerted unless required by additional rewards.

I am the personification of this concept, but  nowadays who isn't? I'm intelligent and have an great memory, so sometimes I put off studying. Others are incredibly athletic by nature, so they put less effort into training. Some are musically gifted, so they practice less than those of us who are tone deaf. Regardless of its manifestation, I think we have all learned a little bit of laziness.

Yes, I am a mere mortal. But, I am a mere mortal designed by a perfect infinite God. And I may be special and unique, but so is everyone else. The important thing is not to compare ourselves to others, but to be the best person we can be. I should always be investing maximum effort to love God and to love people.

God is reminding me that He has crafted me with these little quirks.  They aren't shortcuts that make my life easier, but streamlined paths that allow me to exert greater energy into more challenging aspects of my life.

I often take for granted blessings like my short sleep cycle and my visual memory. In their absence though,  I am being reminded of their benefits: less time asleep allows for more time drawing closer to God and for sharing His love with others. A fantastic memory enables me to remember details to share with others, to pray over, and to ponder throughout my day.  These are specifically designed features of who I am that help me to be the person I was created to be. 

Through this strange season, I find myself longing for these funny little aspects of my life to return so that I can serve God in my fullest capacity. I find myself wanting to exert maximum effort, even if it yields what seems like minimal reward. I want to do whatever I can to fully devote myself to glorifying God with whatever remains of my short mortal existence.