Well, it seems awhile since I've written but think just a couple days. This afternoon I began to feel as if waking up from a blurry and lengthy dream of mostly non-remembering. I'm cautiously optimistic that this illness has turned the corner; but it is notorious for having me feel as if some better and next day worse. Yet, I'm still considering that this body has turned the corner for the better.
And as the days pass, there has been more information the researchers and Coronavirus Task Force have discovered as to symptoms. Yes, sinuses are very much part of where this upper respiratory virus can start or reside. No, it does not have to include a cough. No, the fever does not need to be 100 or more, depending upon age. In fact, don't need many symptoms at all, or for long. A couple days ago they were finding people testing positive who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms. A woman who had it today was interviewed and said her symptoms were slight sore throat and headache for a few days.
Soon there will be an online site to be screened or at least guidelines, but from what they've said in their briefings, I will definitely qualify for testing. I might get a test if I feel well enough to drive to wherever there is a drive-through; but tomorrow will be day 14 for me to have been very sick with slow but gradual improvement. Still not out of bed much but have been today to remove black plastic bags from the planters in back and to fold some clothes that have been on drying rack for I'm-not-sure-how-long. This is a promising start or upswing!
My head is not so disoriented now, although the sinus issue I am not convinced was really a sinus infection. Still had low-grade fever today and some chills this morning and early afternoon--but fewer and farther between. Being as if existing in a dream is dwindling! Praise God! And thanksgiving and gratitude for those who have been praying for me!
I did, the past few days, write elsewhere of my experience with this illness, and reminded others that the symptoms do not necessarily or maybe mostly fit into the neat three-or-four boxes that medical providers have tended to insist upon. Breathing difficulties are not involved in many of those who tested positive. Friday night the first infant with COVID-19 was born in the UK. People are less and less spouting off about how the media is hyping this pandemic, or that people don't have it unless presenting with high fever, respiratory distress, and have serious underlying conditions.
We are all coming out of whatever darkness of ignorance or not wanting to deal with the facts and realities. We are all learning together about the coronavirus, or COVID-19, and with humility are recognizing that we know very little other than what is being discovered daily by daily research and by persons' symptoms being reported.
Thanks be to God there will be testing that bypasses medical providers' with their varied notions of what constitutes symptoms warranting testing, for too many of them were expecting only the dire cases that fit neatly into three categories and a fourth if one had been on a cruise ship or exposed even if in a conference or group of hundreds in which one or more persons had tested positive and was in known "hot-spot" area.
(Yet I am undecided if I will get tested as will need to feel much better to drive to a testing spot once they are established, and by then not sure there is a point for me. I suppose to know if safe for me to be around others; as a hermit and my family visit over, I have no place I need to go as am stocked up with edibles. Have had no to little appetite, although that is returning a bit. I'll ask the Lord to guide me on whether or not to get a test once feel up for driving to testing location. Wore myself out with effort to get to Urgent Care and next day to the D.O. for what now seems to be for me to pray for the two persons as well as to share my experiences, which did help someone this morning.)
So I turn to today's Gospel, the real-life experience of Jesus and the disciples walking and arriving at Jacob's well in Samaria. The disciples go on into the town to purchase food to bring back to Jesus, as he was weary and they left him to rest. Or, perhaps, of course, Jesus foreknew what would transpire and encouraged the disciples to go on without him to buy food. (And I note that they purchased food--did not beg, at least at that point and location. No one knew of Jesus there; his reputation had not preceded him.)
The verses that I'm most pondering and holding close to heart are these of Jesus in explaining to the Samaritan woman and those whom she was asking to come see this man who knew about her life, who is the Messiah.
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).
The Lord is calling us now, calling us the world over, to worship God the Father in Spirit and truth. He is seeking us during this time of Lent--especially those of us who are now feeling the fuller effects of this global health pandemic--but all of us including those who have suffered greatly and lost many lives to it, and whose countries have not yet peaked from the disastrous effects of this highly contagious and dangerous virus--especially to the more vulnerable sections of the worlds populace.
And Jesus emphasizes that for those of us who worship Him worship Him in Spirit and truth.
I am needing a bit of thoughtfulness and, perhaps to put my bodily pain plus whatever of the blurring couple of weeks with these several other symptoms of COVID-19, behind the desire to worship God the Father, and to worship Him in Spirit and truth. I'm praising God for loving us all so much to allow us this time period and the circumstances of physical, medical pandemic, of for some to deal emotionally with panic by turning to God for protection and healing, and to have faith and trust in the Lord mentally that the economic realities that will be harsh for awhile, will turn around.
We must turn to God in Spirit and in truth, for turning to Him is a step in worshiping Him. People will not turn to God if not interested in at least acknowledging that He is there for them--for them to turn to. Conversion!
At least others will see the many of us who love and worship God, who praise Him and pray to Him asking for the salvation of the world and of souls--will have an example just as the people of the Samaritan town saw in the Samaritan woman at the well how she had changed already. She was so excited and doing all she could to convince people to come and see; she even announced to them that Jesus had told her of all her male alliances and husbands,. She was so taken up in the Spirit and truth that she did not mind being totally transparent and admitting her sinful life. Conversion!
God bless His Real Presence!
[Just received text from someone who'd texted over hour ago that spouse was not home yet and getting dark. Had gone fishing where no cell service, and should have been on way home. We prayed, and also I texted some to help point out that was still dusk and the fishing might have been very good and enticing to squeeze out every bit of light. So this text was that the lost has been found, and is yet an hour away but all right. And, truly, I was just noticing that dusk seemed to last extra long so just now at point of darkness. I also texted that we prayed to the Father in Spirit and truth, and now I will praise the Father in Spirit and truth! All is well for the fishers of fish!]
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