lessons from my bout with Covid

I often take (sometimes long) breaks from this blog, so you would not have noticed my absence. But on Tuesday morning I began to feel unwell and did a Covid home test just to eliminate a variable. That brings me to lesson 1.

The home Antigen tests that the government sent or that we bought at the store DO NOT have a long shelf life. We had 20 or so tests from the various kind offerings and they had all gone out of date in August. I reached out to a pharmacist friend who said she wouldn’t rely on the results from this out of date test. But I took it.

It was positive. 🦠

So, because we live in a town where free PCR tests are available several times a week, we showed up early to get tested. Then the waiting began. The Boss was showing no symptoms and never has, she’s just stronger than me. I thank God for her constitution. I thank God for her care.

I thank God for the many people who work to devise and administer the tests and for the CDC’s helpful guidelines.

That evening my scratchy throat turned into a dry cough and soon body aches ensued. Curious, I searched the internet to understand why a virus causes body aches.

Lesson 2: I was fascinated to learn that it has something to do with the body fighting a virus and the muscle aches are a kind of side effect of that fight. And believe you me, my body was fighting the virus! So in the aches, I found a practice: Thank God for the aches as it reminds me that the system he built into the body is working. Our sovereign God thinks of everything! Glory to him in the pain, it has a purpose! So, thanks be to God we can fill the achey night with prayer!

The aches didn’t make for a very good night’s sleep, so when I would wake, I’d check the hospital app for test results, somewhere after 2am they came in and confirmed the positive. Thanks be to God, I now proceed knowing what to do.

Lesson 3: That out of date test was accurate.

So don’t do what I did and throw out all those tests until you find out when they really are no good.

But why, I wondered, were the aches worse at night?

Lesson next: It seems, as best as I can learn, that one cause may be that the body slows down the production of a natural chemical at night and the aches can intensify – often with a vengeance. Glory to God, the body is doing its job!

Thankfully I had no fever. But man did I have chills! Why? I asked. Lesson 5: It appears that chills may be the result of the body’s core super heating to kill the viral intruder. Wow, another reason to praise the design of God in the body! So, as I prayed thanks to God, he was using his designed system to fight the virus. I’m kind of reminded of:

“Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!” Psalm‬ ‭134:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My hands were not raised (they were holding the blanket trying to be warm) but my heart blessed the Lord as he worked to weaken the virus.

Glory to God!

NOT a lesson, but a reminder, “in everything” give thanks, not necessarily for everything.

Whatever, give thanks.

Final lesson: learn about the Devil from Covid.

In a couple of weeks. I’m preaching from 1Peter where the apostle says:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Just as a variety of viruses move around, so does a more dangerous enemy, one who would cause us to stumble. The enemy will attack us when we least expect it.

But God is faithful and is in each of us who believe. He is our strength. So whatever anxiety is keeping you awake at night, turn to our Lord Jesus. He is there!

Glory be to him!

Abide in him believer! He is with us.

Soli Deo Gloria

P.S. One more lesson, take advantage of when you feel okay (like an hour ago) and then take a nap, which I’m going to do now cuz this post wore me out. But it was good for my spirit to praise God.