Sick of Being Sick

I'm trying to remain optimistic, but I believe that I have been sick more than I've been well since the middle of November. Here is a list of my medical issues and illnesses: 

November 11 - UTI

November 26 - Contracted Bronchitis

December 11th - Another UTI

December 24th - Contracted Bronchitis a second time

December 27th - Another UTI

January 5 - Injection in right knee for knee pain (possible bursitis)

January 12 - Tested positive for Covid

That's a lot of illness to recover from in just a few weeks time. Alan tested positive for Covid the day after I did, so we both need to stay isolated for the time being. We don't want to pass it on to anyone else.

I was beginning to think that we were going to skate by and never get covid, but that wasn't meant to be. We were lucky to have gone this long without getting it. It seems that most everyone we know has had it at least once. Fortunately, neither of us is extremely sick. We are having flu/cold-like symptoms and, thankfully, we haven't lost our sense of smell or taste.

Being sick so much has interfered with my church calling. I teach the 11-12 year old Sunday School class and I've only been able to teach once in the past 7 weeks. I feel bad for my team teacher who has had to pick up the slack for me. Alan did teach once for me in early December, however.

I'm hoping that my bout with illnesses is coming to an end. It is definitely no fun to be sick all the time.  When we go through a series of trials like this, I believe that the Lord is trying to teach us something. Patience and longsuffering come to my mind.

 On New Years Eve, as I lay in bed coughing for 3 hours straight when I had bronchitis, I was praying constantly for healing. I thought I couldn't take the coughing a minute longer. My chest was so congested that it felt like I was breathing through a straw and I was coughing so hard that I was almost throwing up, but the trial wasn't taken away from me. What I was given instead was the ability to endure through the episode (this was just one of many). I knew that the Lord knew what I was going through. He had suffered every pain, every illness, every sorrow, every heartache, every sin, etc. that any man has had to endure on this earth. He knew how I felt. One good thing about trials is that it can bring us closer to Christ. He was there beside me the whole time. He did not leave me comfortless. He gave me the wisdom to know that I could get through it and come out better for it. There are so many people who have had to suffer so much more than I have. How can I complain?

When we suffer illness, it makes us more fully appreciate our days of good health. I want to go forward rejoicing in every day that I'm not ill. 

Here's to a happy, healthy New Year!