26 December 2022
Life can be so cruel. One day you’re healthy and living as you always have, then suddenly, without warning, without doing anything different, you become ill by an invisible virus that can kill you.
I had heard that COVID-19 could be bad, but I never imagined a global pandemic would be like this for me, my family, and my church community. I don’t know when or if our lives will return to normal. It never occurred to me that a virus could separate me from the activities, my job, and people that mean so much to me. And yet here we are attending church via our phones and computers especially this Christmas season. I appreciate my pastor’s teaching, but I miss the fellowship, conversations, prayers, leading worship and encouragement so much. I feel the isolation and I don’t like it.
It’s a lot worse than I expected. Chilling, high grade fever, severe headache, dizziness, severe cough, difficulty of breathing, lost of taste and smell, congested nose, severe runny nose, body malaise and diarrhea.
The pre onset of 1 to 2 days are worst - chilling, joint pain and body malaise, high grade fever, severe headache, congested nose, barking cough, difficulty of breathing and loss of voice. Day 3 with difficulty of breathing, severe cough, runny nose and fever. Day 4 runny nose, cannot sleep due to severe cough, tightness of chest due to phlegm, and diarrhea.
Day 5 is better. I’m feeling like I can move forward. I’m beginning to feel that these difficult circumstances are about to end soon. And I will be back on my life’s normal programming. I want to celebrate life and focus on my future, my boys future and continue to honor God and make disciple..
We aren’t alone when we feel weary, weak, or inadequate. Others needed help during difficult times too. God wants the members of the body of Christ to have loving, meaningful relationships with one another, relationships that we long for, especially on situations like this when we were separated due to pandemic. As a nurse in our community, I feel like God is leading me to care for people during this times. I created a group for those people who became positive in RAT, to assist them in simple ways. To God’s glory.
But even if I do everything right, stay at home, and keep my distance, I can’t be certain that the people I love most will be safe.
When we’re used to depending on our own ability and power to feel safe, we feel vulnerable when a disaster takes that control away. But while we’re powerless to help ourselves, God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, remains powerful and good.
We become strong as we connect with God, the life-giving power of the universe.
As we adapt to a “new normal” of daily life on earth, in Macau and all over the world we can be sure that nothing has changed with God. He still loves us. He is still watching over us. He is still our solid rock of hope and strength who promises to be with us no matter what disasters befall us.
