Musing on Goodness - April 18

Suffice it to say, getting sick is off-limits for at least another two years. The cold, flu or even sinus issues are not allowed to exist while we are in a pandemic state. Sneezing, coughing, hugging, touching are not allowed in present interactions or even past ones.

It’s amazing how much our thinking has shifted since Covid. If you’re like me, there’s an inner commentary going on while you watch a movie that has crowds, maskless people, people sharing food, or no social distancing. (Somebody should pitch that to Pixar as an ‘Inside Out’ Short.)

“Why are they hugging? Do they want to catch Covid?” is something I think all the time, even when I’m watching ‘The Chosen’.

Last week Saturday, my sister called me from work to let me know that she was feeling weak and feverish and was going to come home. She had been home all of the week before that because of her work schedule, so Saturday had been the first day she had been back to work since the previous Sunday.

A couple thoughts trekked through my mind while she was speaking:

Does she have Covid?

Am I going to get Covid?

Even if it’s not Covid, I don’t want to get sick!

We sat beside each other to talk to the parents yesterday, so she must have been feeling sick then!

What should I do?

I prayed for her on the phone and decided that I wasn't going to be afraid. I was going to be wise, but not fearful. So I moved my bed out of her room, took out some clothes and masks, sanitized the surfaces, and sent a prayer request to my family WhatsApp group.

My plan was simple - I would take care of her and we would remain as safe as possible and leave the rest to God.

The other thing I decided was that I was going to pray regularly for her. A few years ago, I had

listened to this sermon on healing and that healing was a part of what Jesus exchanged on the Cross for us. The teacher emphasized the need for fervent prayers over the sick. He encouraged praying as regularly as taking medication for various illnesses (so if your meds call for a dose every 8 hours, then you pray with that frequency as well).

I prayed for her 3 times a day and I checked her progress - remaining masked and socially distant. She recovered quickly from whatever it was!

Though she took the Covid test, we haven’t gotten the results yet and so she's still in isolation. No one else has gotten sick but I wanted to encourage you that though this virus is scary, and though many people have died from it, God is a healer and wants to heal us from our diseases. Don’t give in to fear. And if you or a loved one gets sick (from Covid, the flu or cancer), ask for prayer and pray consistently.

Let’s not forget where our hope is found.

So what good thing happened to you this week?