All Things Work for Good

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (ESV) COVID snuck in and tried to wreak havoc in our home over the past few weeks. I’ll be completely raw here and say that we have experienced attacks physically, emotionally, and spiritually, that were completely surprising to us. It all began with a fever. My husband had been experiencing a low grade fever that would come and go for a few weeks prior to all of this. Finally, this fever was not subsiding, and I, too, came down with it. We were achy in our upper back / neck area, but nowhere else. It was really a strange, uncomfortable ache which caused me to sleep on a heating pad for a few days, just for a little relief. That, coupled with a fever (that I was trying desperately to avoid taking anything for), had me feeling terrible. We were anxiously optimistic that this would pass, as we had a trip planned to Disney World, which we had been planning for a year! We decided that the wise thing to do was to get tested before we leave for our trip, so we are not exposing anyone to the virus. Well, as you can infer, we both eventually tested positive. That was a devastating blow, as we now had to cancel our trip. Now, this may sound trivial, and in the big picture it probably is, but there is more to this story. As I mentioned, this trip was planned a year ago, and it included bringing my parents along. If you have followed my stories for any time, you know that Lewy Body Dementia has captured my dad’s health. This being said, the trip was very meaningful to us, as we knew he would still be able to enjoy sharing this experience and make memories with the kids at this time. Honestly, it could have been a trip anywhere and it would have been equally as important. This was our fall break from school so it was well planned during a time that worked well for everyone to travel. We know we can reschedule this trip, or another trip, but it gets harder as time passes. We know it was absolutely the right thing to do to cancel this trip, but it just added insult to injury, as we were not feeling well. At this point, we also had to pull the kids from school, due to exposure. They missed the final two days before fall break, and due to the strange MDH guidelines, the girls have to miss an additional week of school after break. One tremendous blessing was my parents’ willingness to take the girls for the week so we could heal and they could spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. This provided a tremendous relief that I didn't even know I needed. We also generously received meals from church friends, which was such a blessing. We were both so down and out, that even the thought of making a meal was exhausting. This probably even sounds far fetched, but I couldn't even remember what I could make for myself, because a salad just didn't sound good. I didn't want to eat. I struggled to eat the smoothie that I make EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. It was really a strange experience. I do not know if this is an effect of COVID, but mentally, I could not focus on anything. I was not only exhausted physically, but I was unable to formulate a complete thought. The length of time it took to even type a sentence was ridiculous! I still experience moments of brain fog and vertigo, but I have noticed that it is getting better with each new day. By the grace of God, we are healing fully and are thankful that we will have the antibodies in our system to fight this virus in future. Now, I know that the truth of God’s word remains forever. His promises never change, and in that my trust rests. Through all of the unfortunate circumstances that manifested during this two week period of time, the more important situation is that of my father-in-law, healing from COVID in the hospital. He has been hospitalized for two weeks now, and we are trusting and believing in God for his miraculous healing. Again, we know well that God is good. We know that our hope is in Him alone, and we invite prayers of healing and health over this situation. We will continue to pray diligently and give God the glory for all of the good He has given us.

There is always Hope in Jesus! Until next time, ~Stephanie ** I would ask that any questions or comments be directed to me, as this is a very emotional time (especially for Darek and his immediate family) and answers are not easy to come by.