Clearing the Crud

December 3, 2025

Jason Bonnicksen

Clearing the Crud

365 DAYS OF THANKSLIVING — DAY 2

Should one be thankful for having a cold? Sounds kinda like a bizarre question, doesn’t it? Well, that’s me; I’m bizarre… a bit anyway, LOL.

I’m not sure if it’s a cold I have or something other, but I’m sure ready to be over whatever it is. For over seven days and nights, I’ve been hocking, coughing, and clearing the crud. Thank goodness for “plop-plop, fizz-fizz, because oh what a relief it surely is… that along with acetaminophen, NyQuill, and all those other fabulous OTC products one takes to feel less miserable. Seriously, we should all thank the scientists and medical types who’ve formulated medications such as these; because if anything, they do a good job masking our symptoms.

I know this sounds odd, but all that mucous we hock out when we cough, hack and vigorously force through our nostrils… well, all that yuck reminds of me of the crud that Jesus came to this earth to clear-out from our souls. And while that’s a bizarre analogy, just think about it for a bit. Isn’t it kind of true?

Jesus Christ came to this earth 2,000 years ago to die on the cross for our sins. And on that cross, he took into himself all of our wrongs, hurts, and the ways we offended God and one another. And our sins, comparatively speaking, what are they if not like all those harmful microbes that seek to do us harm?

This December, we’re celebrating the advent of Jesus’ birth — Emmanuel, God with us. He came to be one of us, to understand us, and give himself for us so that our souls could be free of all the spiritual impurities that make us eternally sick. He didn’t come to mask our symptoms, but to heal us – to expel all that yuck from our souls. He did that for me; and he did it for you. And for that, I AM ETERNALLY THANKFUL.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-1, ESV.

Give thanks in all circumstances. Huh. Would you ever have thought it before: Jesus would want us to give thanks (to God) even when we’ve come down with the crud. Certainly, Jesus clearing the crud from our souls is #1, but there are plenty more reasons to be thankful as well

I’m thankful for health advancements, medications, and the people who cause them to happen. I’m thankful for things like tissues, orange juice, and chicken noodle soup, because all things help us feel better when we’re under the weather. I bet there are more things we can list, if we put our minds to is. The point is, even when we’re sick, we can still be thankful. Whether we’re feeling atop of the world or plagued with the crud, we can all give thanks (to God) today! Amen?

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