What Covid-19 Reminded Me About God

It’s been quiet on the blog this month. I finished  July running on fumes. With two manuscripts due on August 1 to two separate publishers. I’d worked an insane number of hours in July and was physically, spiritually,  and emotionally spent.  When I arrived home from attending a family funeral in Dallas, I looked forward to taking a few days off. I was in my kitchen making lunch when I told my husband I needed to lay down. An hour later,  I woke up from a nap with a raging fever and felt outrageously ill. Despite being fully vaccinated, the next day, I tested positive for Covid-19 in what clinicians are referring to as a “breakthrough case.”  The next two weeks are a blur that I can easily characterize as the sickest I’ve ever been in my life. But those days aren’t entirely lost on me because I’ve been reminded of some central truths about God:

• We are vulnerable, but God is not. The morning I fell ill, I’d felt well enough to cook a big meal, and an hour later, I was crumpled into a fetal position. Human beings are vulnerable, and things can change quickly. None of us are invincible, and our status can change in an instant. But through the highs and lows of life, we can rest assured that God’s status remains unchanged, and He is committed to our good. God is not vulnerable to viruses, accidents, or any of the perils that come from living in a fallen world. The book of Hebrews assures us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). God is full of power and glory. His status is intact, and nothing can dislodge Him from His throne.
• God is active in the details. Thankfully, (and probably because of the vaccine), my oxygen numbers stayed within safe range throughout my illness, but my numbers plunged six points during the first twelve hours I was sick, so things got off to a dicey start. My doctor instructed me to watch my oxygen levels closely, and at times it felt like my entire well-being depended on what the pulse oximeter read. On one of the few times I had the energy to pick up my Bible, my reading led me to Matthew 10: 29-30, ^“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” This passage reminded me that God is active in the details—even the details of my body.  If He’s aware of the number of hairs on my head, He’s well aware of how much oxygen I have pulsing through my lungs.
• God renews our strength. Ultimately, it took thirteen days before my fever broke. It sounds dramatic now, but there were days I felt so run down I wasn’t convinced I’d ever feel normal again. The thought of riding in a car seemed impossible. Walking my dogs seemed out of the question. But it’s been three weeks now since I tested positive, and I’m finally feeling like myself. For the most part, my routine has returned to normal.  My symptoms are nearly gone, and even my sense of smell and taste has returned. I’ve been reminded of the fact that God is in the business of renewing and restoring His people. The ways things are today are not the way things are always going to be. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

You don’t have to have a three-week brush with an illness to feel like you need God’s restoration and renewal. Perhaps you’re simply feeling burnt out from the daily demands of life. Regardless of the cause, God has the resources His people need and He stands ready to restore and renew.