Isolated and Thankful

Uncategorized 4 Minutes

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

So, I finally got Covid. No clue where I got it. (Maybe masks don’t work…?) I have been through a sore throat stage, a coughing/bronchitis stage, a nausea stage (from consuming “lots of liquids” and little solids except cold meds and supplements – *bleah*) and now that my appetite is back, I can’t taste much or smell at all. These are pretty much the stages of every cold I have ever had, and I’ve had at least 200 of them. Only this time it’s been much milder than usual.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day I am THANKFUL.

Thankful that I was so sick so often as a teenager and twenty-something that I became a bona fide health nut by the time I was thirty.

Thankful that with my frequent illnesses and my love of singing I never dared take up smoking. (According to the CDC, twice as many people will die this year of tobacco-related illness than of Covid.)

Thankful that through knowing Christ I was delivered from an eating disorder in my early 30’s, and that the emotional healing helped me toward better physical health – not through an instant miracle, but through natural means, with self-discipline being an added bonus.

Thankful that at 67 I’m remarkably healthy, probably due to my early experiences, which at the time seemed “SO unfair!” (“All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28)

I’m thankful that my husband Marty has had mild symptoms, too, due to his healthy lifestyle. (Thankful that we were both born with healthy, functioning bodies to begin with.)

Thankful that each day as I offered my body to God as a “living sacrifice,” (Romans 12:1) He has accepted it. (He takes good care of His stuff.)

Thankful that being isolated for Thanksgiving isn’t getting us down, that we can finally be around each other, since we both have the same thing. Thankful that Marty’s stomach issues and the fact that I can’t taste mean neither of us is particularly bothered by the fact that I don’t feel up to cooking.

Thankful for Marty’s revelation last night: “Hey, after this we can go visit Ben and Rachel and the boys, and Kelly and Erickson.” (We haven’t seen our son-in-law, our daughter-in-law, or our youngest grandchild in most of a year, and our children only from arm’s length.)

Thankful that I finally can say “been there, had that, got the antibodies.” I will be researching today whether any of the nursing homes would be allowed to have me and my fellow Covid survivors come to sing Christmas carols to the residents who have been dying for human contact since March. If we can produce the proof that we are well and immune, they won’t have to fear us, and with the antibodies we won’t be afraid of them, either. We might even be permitted to give them smiles – the things my one elderly friend has said she’s missed the most through all of this.

Thankful that I know my Creator, and this pandemic has never been an occasion for fear. If I live, I live for Him, if I die, I go to Him. It’s win-win. It’s just been a matter of finding alternative ways to share His love and Good News with those around me (or in the case of this blog, with those around the world.)

I suppose I should explain what I mean by “Good News” for those who may be reading this blog for the first, last, and/or only time. It’s really a “bad news/good news” reality, so please read carefully to make sure you’re in the “good news” column!

First the BAD NEWS:

“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) In other words, nobody’s perfect. (Duh.)

“The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a) That’s eternal death, folks, away from God. Why? God is holy and we aren’t. Face it, if a bunch of unholy people entered a holy place (heaven) that place would be polluted and no longer perfect.

But here’s the GOOD NEWS:

“…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b) God made a way for us to have the penalty of our sins cancelled and to be made perfect. He loved us – even before we loved Him! – so much that Jesus, His Only Begotten Son, paid that penalty Himself by dying on the Cross. He’s the only One who has lived a perfect life, so He’s the only One who could be the atoning Sacrifice, paying the debt for all of us. “Wages” are what we’ve earned; a “gift” is something we haven’t earned. We don’t deserve God’s gift, but He offers it to us anyway. All we need to do is receive it – receive Him.

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

The greatest gift in the universe is being held out to you! Receive it or refuse it, it’s your choice.

If you have never made the conscious choice to receive this gift, I pray you receive it today, give your life to Jesus, and begin a brand new life as a child of God. He will help you become the person He created you to be, and you will have more to be thankful for than ever before.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for taking the penalty for our sins, for dying so that we can live – forever! If we had nothing else in this world but Your salvation, we still could never thank You enough. Thank You that we have the promise of heaven, and no fear, no man, no virus can take from us Your inexpressibly precious gift that You have given us through Your death. In Your name, Amen.

Published by seekingdivineperspective

I am a forgiven sinner and adopted child of God, seeking to see life from His perspective - as opposed to the world's flawed perspective - and living my life accordingly.

Published

52 thoughts on “Isolated and Thankful”

  1. God bless and keep you and may you get healthy again quickly. Unfortunately, getting this virus does not mean that you are immune since my brother-in-law already had it, had antibodies and now has it again. Just be careful and keep praying! Happy Thanksgiving!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Wendi. I appreciate your prayers. My prayers are answered. Every day as I offer my body to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), I ask Him for certain things, including “resistance and resilience.” I’ll soon have the antibodies – resistance! And I’ve been getting better fast – there’s the resilience. I am SO looking forward to being able to visit my children and grandchildren unrestricted, which we haven’t been able to do since March.
      Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I’m glad to hear that you’re doing alright (relatively speaking).
    Some say you can still get COVID-19 after you’ve had it but it seems like “facts” change every other minute on that topic.
    Anyway! Happy Thanksgiving!
    Your post is yet another reminder to be grateful for what we have. Jackie realized it and so should we!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. So sorry to hear you have CVOID-19, I had in back in April, and in spite I am thankful for God’s many blessings, my oldest daughter came through surgery after a tumor and her adrenal gland was removed and she is chronically ill, I thank God she is still with us. I will keep you in my prayer

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I will pray for your daughter, too. So glad she came through the surgery. (How old is she?) I don’t know if you are in the U. S., but I guess wherever we are any day is a day for thanks, so blessings to you and your family. ❤️

      Like

      Reply

  12. I’m sorry to hear you caught the virus, but so happy that it’s mild and you’re doing well. You have so many things to be grateful for! I love your outlook on everything. You’re such an inspiration!! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. Thank you Annie, for sharing your experience with the virus and with God our Healer! Have hardly read any firsthand reports, and the media is only a mouthpiece for the forces of darkness. (Which is why I avoid them like the plague.)

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  23. I’m sorry I didn’t see this until now. I’ve been doing so much writing in my memoir that I have let a lot of things slide. I’m praying for you and your husband. ❤❤

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

Leave a comment