So yesterday, I went to be tested for Covid. I felt like I had bronchitis and the flu together. They determined that I also needed an EKG and a chest x-ray. I also requested that they give me a flu test. The doctor agreed, saying that they are seeing “everything under the sun” now-a-days. (Just a reminder that there are germs EVERYWHERE… it is not just Covid that is our there.) The EKG, after 4 tries, was fine. The x-ray showed fluid and inflammation around my lungs. Flu test was negative. I was given albuterol, not for asthma, but to help open the airways that are being compromised, and prednisone to help with inflammation. Almost 24 hours later exactly, my doctor’s office called to let me know that my Covid test was NEGATIVE…and that I probably had “another respiratory pathogen from the community”.
Any of you who have been following what I have been posting, know that I am immune compromised, and know my thoughts on Covid. We followed all the protocols in the beginning, but as the officials kept changing the protocols and goal post, we started letting our guard down. I didn’t make people take off their shoes, or take showers the minute they came home from work. We started bringing home take out, because we are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen. I went with Jeff to Lowes to pick out countertops, and community aid, because my kids needed clothes.
Then all of a sudden, I woke up Thursday morning very sick. It felt like I had bronchitis and the flu at the same time. Thursday afternoon, my sister convinced me that I needed to call the doctor…who then sent me to the testing site by the Urgent Care.
I told you all this to emphasize that I still stand by what I have posted. I knew the risk. I left the house, and I caught “another respiratory pathogen from the community”. At the moment, I am pretty miserable with pain, shortness of breath, chills, and extreme fatigue. All I want to do is sleep. I could have continued to stay at home, but I did not. I do not want to live in fear. I know my condition, and I know the risk. I live with them every day. The world fears Covid, but I leave the house and get another respiratory virus. With my medical history, this could still, and usually does, hit me very hard.
Probably my favorite verse in the Bible is
…Fear not:
for I have redeemed thee,
I have called thee by thy name;
thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters,
I will be with thee;
and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee:
when thou walkest through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God,
the Holy One of Israel,
thy Saviour…
Isaiah 43:1-3
If the Holy One of Israel is going to be with me, why should I be afraid of a (man-made) virus.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We are not only fighting a virus; we are fighting a spiritual battle too. The spiritual battle is trying to take God our of our land, and Satan fighting for the souls of the people. We should not go into battle unprepared. My favorite Patch the Pirate CD Kingdom Chronicles, teaches about putting on the whole armor of God.
Ephesians 6:11-20 (KJV)
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Proverbs 21:31
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 20:1
When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
We are told so many times in the Bible to “fear not” for “I am with thee”. This is one of the many truths that I try to teach the little ones at church. You never have to be afraid, because God is ALWAYS with you. The same God that was with Daniel, Joseph, Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah is the same God that is with you.
I can truly say that I was at peace during the wait for my test results. I started thinking of all that I have posted, and thought about God’s goodness to me. I would not change any of what I have posted. God gave us the gift of HIS son to save us, but as Americans, God gave us liberty and freedom. We do not live in bondage. We do not live under a dictatorship, or socialism or even a medieval cast society. I can say that even if the test results were positive, God would still be with me…through the fire, through the flood, or though the plague.
My only sadness, was that I might not have been able to vote on Tuesday’s primaries, or go back to church, which we have been praying for so much.
So for at least a few days, I will stay in my room and sleep, because it is time to rest and I know who is with me.