My Covid Journey Part 4

by   October 18, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

After the overnight emergency room visit ended, we headed home with hope. I was starting to believe I may recover from COVID.

But days 9-10 took a surprising and unexpected turn that left me with the most powerful emotions of my journey.

Isolation would continue. Isolation means to be alone or apart from others. That pretty much summed it up. The days were hard. They lasted forever.

Day 9

I got home from the hospital and back to bed. A morning cup of coffee and a yogurt were delivered by family to my bedroom door at 9 a.m.  I was spending my morning with the expectation of improvement on the horizon, mostly due to having an antibiotic. I would just wait and see.

Then came the surprise. I took a sip of my coffee. I could not taste it. I ate a spoonful of  yogurt. I could not taste it. How yogurt and coffee both felt like cardboard in my mouth, I really could not understand. It scared me. What if my taste never came back? I knew if I had to live like this, I would never survive. Never have I experienced such a moment. It was shocking. It felt hopeless. Eating cardboard? Why even bother? I could feel the warmth of the coffee, but that was all. I sent it away.

Later, I tried water. Surely that would seem normal. Again — cardboard.

At that point, I was not willing to eat without tasting it, but did try to keep drinking a little water. Napping and watching TV took up most of my day, but as evening fell I began to realize that another symptom had shown up. My vision had become blurry. My eyes were watery. Losing my ability to taste and see hit me hard. Fear of not getting better began to control my thoughts — again.

Hopelessness was still there.

There was no end in sight.

I was starting to wonder if it would end.

Tears came easily on this night, as I prayed alone for my taste and my ability to see clearly to return. I thought about Charles, sleeping again on the floor in another room. He had been working so diligently to care for the family — all of us. It was then that I connected his favorite Bible verse with my very difficult day. Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him.”

I gotta say — I wasn’t feeling it.

Day 10

Double digits. I had lived to see another day. Surely, this day would be the peak and my symptoms would begin to subside. They did. It was the peak for some of the earlier symptoms — no more fever, headache or cough, and breathing improved slightly. It was now mostly achy, fatigued, and the inability to taste and see. Those symptoms were horrible. I tried to feel encouraged, for we were only a few days away from the end of our quarantine, going out of our yard, our children getting back to school, grocery store trips, and church. And I was feeling somewhat better. Our lives would return to normal.

Then came the unexpected.

At 4 p.m., Charles walked in the bedroom, with his mask on as always, looked me in the eyes, and said, “I’m sick.”

We both knew.

Return to normal would have to wait.

That Still Small Voice

by   October 17, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Have you ever had one of those weeks when you had more to do than you thought you could accomplish? Yeah, I know we have all had those kinds of weeks. It makes you feel glad for a routine week. It makes the routine seem quiet. Like it or not, we all have those kinds of days and weeks when we chase ourselves.

            Then there are those weeks that are stressful. Maybe you are facing a deadline and you are pushing to get it all done. Maybe you are worried about a loved one. Maybe you are dealing with sickness, your own or a family member, and you are feeling overwhelmed.

            Maybe you are facing the loss of a loved one. Our world has come to a screeching halt in moments like this. I have been to a number of funerals for church members recently. I have family members who have recently lost members from their families. Daily routines must feel so unimportant in such times.

            We pray for each other. We are there for each other. We offer our hand of help and support. We listen and we try to lift the burdens from family and friends. We offer words that we hope will bring comfort.

            I thought retired life would always grant me plenty of time. Hustling would be something I would only see in my rearview mirror. For the most part, I was right, but there are times and days when things can still go crazy. It seems that it has been that way for the last couple of weeks. 

            Last week when I was reaching a peak of craziness I suddenly felt this blanket of peace surround me. I really can’t explain it. I should have been feeling the stress of all that was going on. I didn’t. The craziness settled, I took a few breaths, and wondered how I made it.

            I didn’t have time for the computer during the craziness, so I took a few quiet moments to catch up on email and social media. I saw an email from an old friend. I haven’t seen or talked with him in quite a while. I opened it and it simply read, “Been praying for you the last couple of days.” It took my breath away. I savored it. I read it a couple of times.

            This friend had no way of knowing what kind of craziness I was enduring. I wrote and thanked the friend. I shared a few of the crazy things that were going on. He simply said that I was on his mind during his quiet time. Obedience is so important. We don’t need to understand, just listen and obey that still, small voice.

            God can be quite sneaky at times. (No disrespect intended – actually love and appreciation.) He has ways of getting people praying because prayer changes things. God knows what we often fail to understand, that prayer is a powerful tool that moves heaven.

            There are six friends who receive prayer from me every day. Beyond them, there are varying amounts of prayers being offered for various people and situations. Yes, in case you don’t know, I do pray about the weather, too. Jesus calmed storms and He’s our example.

            Like my friend, I have been impressed to pray for people. When I feel the gentle call, I don’t ask questions, I just lift them up in prayer. Sometimes when the impression to pray is intense, I will follow up with the person and often hear some interesting stories. Morning, noon, or night, if the Spirit whispers, I try to listen and respond.

             I think many people do not realize the power they possess if they will simply bow their head in prayer. Peter was delivered from prison because a group was praying for him. I know people who have been healed and others who have been saved through the power of prayer. I believe circumstances change, the Lord’s favor can rest on us, and impossible situations can miraculously resolve themselves through prayer.

            I want to encourage you to listen for and obey that still, small voice. You never know how your prayers might impact situations. Your prayers might set in motion the help that is desperately needed. Your prayers can turn another person’s day completely around. Your prayers can dispatch angels. Your prayers can release peace, love, and the Spirit to do what only He can do. Next time you hear that still, small voice speaking to you, say a prayer.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

My COVID Journey part 3

by   October 13, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Day 8

6:45 p.m.

Perhaps there has never been a more defining evening in my life. COVID-19 seemed to be getting the upper hand. The waters felt deep and rough. I knew I needed to go to the ER, but checked in with the COVID line first, where it was recommended I go to an urgent care for a chest x-ray. They let them know we were on our way.

As I stepped out of the car, an employee quickly got to me, and said, “You really need to go to the ER, since we would probably have to send you there anyway and duplicate services.”

It stung a bit, for I had done what I was told.

I felt a little hopeless.

Maybe a tad unwanted.

But, I understood.

7:12 p.m.

Charles dropped me off at the ER entrance. A police officer met him, told him to go home, and that after they admitted me, I would call him.

I think it broke his heart.

He told me later that his first thought as he watched me walk in the hospital was, “I may never see her again.”

It seemed as if everything was moving in fast motion at first, as they tried to get me exactly where they needed for me to be. Apparently, where they felt I needed to be was waiting in a cold hallway in a plastic chair with a metal frame. At that point, everything switched to super slow motion. Waiting in that chair had to be the longest three hours and 43 minutes of my COVID journey.

After my vitals were checked, I was told I had to wait for a room with a door.

I guess I looked confused, for she repeated, “You have to wait for a room with a door.”

It took me a second, but I understood.

The door mattered. It would protect me. It would protect others.

I was freezing. I leaned my head against the wall and waited. I tried to find one second of comfort. It did not come.

I understood.

Everyone’s pandemic experience is different — whether sick, or working, or just living their lives. We must be patient, tolerant, respectful and supportive of each other as we handle the crisis. We are all in this together, albeit in different roles. But even going through something together can feel very alone.

Arms folded, legs outstretched, and head against the wall, I knew it had gotten dark outside by now, but the darkness I felt in this cold hallway was all I could think about.

I believe those hours in the ‘waiting room’ were when God began taking me from a place of pleading for healing — to a place of leaning on his promises for healing.

I reached down for my notepad in my purse where I had scribbled these words earlier that day: Don’t be afraid for the terror by night — the fears that come when all is quiet. Nor for the pestilence — the fatal epidemic disease — that walks in darkness when you least expect it. Nor for the destruction at noonday — the bold enemy assaults. Call on me. I will answer. I will be with you in trouble.

The words from Psalm 91 reminded me I should be feeling more hopeful than I was.

I was hearing God’s voice, but I was not believing God’s word for my victory.

10:55 p.m. Bianca walked up. I will never forget her name. She took me to the room that had been prepared just for me. It had a door. I never once glanced back at that plastic chair in the metal frame.

What had felt like a hospital visit up to this point now began to feel more like a spiritual visitation.

I wish I could express it in words, so that you could feel it with me.

For the first time in my COVID journey, I gave up. Yes, I gave myself up completely. I let them take care of me. They called me by my name. They covered me with a heated blanket, helped me into a bed with the whitest sheets and most comfortable mattress ever. The lights in the room were bright, white and warm. They took away the darkness that had tried to settle in my heart. It felt as if I was in a different place than I had ever been before. I remember thinking that it felt like heaven.

Day 9

12 a.m.

They comforted me. Comfort was followed by compassion.

Compassion was followed by complete and competent care.

Bloodwork. X-rays. EKG. CT scan.

Potential blood clots and bacterial pneumonia in the setting of my COVID diagnosis.

A plan put in place for recovery at home — that would give me hope and a future.

2:46 a.m. I was discharged to go home. It seemed so strange. No wheelchair. No assistance. My ER angels closed the door behind them. They left the room. It was time for me to go.

I felt weak as I reached out to open the door. It looked heavy, and I expected it to be. But — when I grabbed the handle — the door was not heavy at all. It was light.

As I walked out, I noticed the cubicles surrounding the other parts of the ER. They had plastic curtains — and no door.

I was so glad I had been taken to the room with the door.

It was worth the wait.

The door. It had felt so light.

2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

The door. It had been so important.

Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the door. If any man enters in, he will be saved. He will go in — and out — and will find pasture.”

Without a doubt, Jesus had been the door they had continually referred to that long night. And the wonderful people who took care of me in the ‘room with the door’ were angels in human form sent straight from heaven. Thank you!

2:56 a.m. I called Charles to come get me.

I guess he would be seeing me again, after all.

Join me next week, as I continue sharing my COVID journey.

Contact me at annfarabee@gmail.com.

No Blueberries

by   October 12, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

So how was your Labor Day weekend? I heard a lady say once that growing up on a farm with seven siblings, their dad had them convinced that Labor Day was the one day of the year when folks worked the hardest. No picnics on THAT farm!

Traditionally our family gathered at Mama and Daddy’s lake house. He would fry fresh chicken outdoors in a giant cast iron skillet over a fire. He knew exactly how to keep the temperature right so the chicken would be tender and juicy inside but crispy on the outside. THAT my friend is an ART! My mouth waters at the memory of it. Mama made homemade potato salad and slaw. We’d usually have green beans and corn from the garden and plenty of desserts. On patriotic holidays Mama would also make cherry yum-yum to look like the American flag. Blueberry pie filling in one corner represented the stars while alternating stripes of cherries and cream cheese filling completed Old Glory. One of the new sons-in-law, made the mistake of dipping into the stars all willy-nilly. Every relative there had to point out that “THE NEW GUY ATE ALL 50 STATES!” The NERVE!

After Mama’s passing, Daddy moved to the lake full time. It’s a beautiful place with a gorgeous view. But we sure miss Mama. She was in charge of life jacket reminders, menu assignments, small flags for the grandchildren to wave, and generally keeping the chaos organized. Of course she also kept watch so no one went swimming before waiting the obligatory thirty minutes after eating. Her biggest job was keeping Daddy in line. That always turned out to be her most challenging assignment.

Daddy’s birthday is near Labor Day. He turned eighty seven this year. Praise God he is still strong and healthy. It may or may not have something to do with the t-shirt one of the kids gave him years ago. It included the blessing/curse assuring that the grumpier one is, the longer God lets them live.

Just sayin’.

We didn’t get to go to the lake this year. I really missed it. But apparently Daddy has been grumpier than me for he’s still kickin’ while I can barely function. It’s hard to come to grips with change. Seasons come and go. It shouldn’t surprise me that change is going to happen. Then it does and I find once again that I don’t much like it. Currently our country seems to be going through an extreme amount of change all at once. I had a teacher who used to say, “Do the best you can with what you’ve got; then forget the rest.”

So for now, while we still can, let’s have all the picnics, wave all the flags, find reasons to laugh with one another, and forget the rest. Life and change will continue to happen. Let’s make the best of what we have and by God’s grace let go of the rest; Even if it means no blueberries in our yum-yum.

Pray for Leaders

by   October 10, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            The recent diagnosis of President Trump and his wife Melania with COVID-19 has highlighted several things for me. Whether you agree or disagree with his policies, whether you are a democrat or republican, whether you like his personality or dislike it…all those things really aren’t important, he is the President. The Bible tells us plainly to pray for our leaders.  

            President and Melania Trump need our prayers. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill need our prayers. We should want all our government leaders and the candidates who are running for offices to be protected or healed from the COVID-19 virus and any other virus or flu. How you feel about a candidate should not affect your willingness to pray for their health and well-being.

            I know it is election season and we want our candidate to win. We look forward to celebrating on election night that our candidates have defeated their challenger and will lead us into a bright future. No matter how badly you want your candidates to win, you shouldn’t want your opponents to have potentially life-threatening illnesses.

            The Bible teaches us in many scriptures that we need to pray for our leaders. Look at Romans chapter 13 or I Timothy chapter 2, just to name a couple of passages. The Bible doesn’t say if you like your leader, pray for them. It just plainly says that we should pray for our leaders.

            It goes without saying that we should pray good things for our leaders. I want all government leaders in any office to succeed…so I can succeed. If they fail or are unsuccessful in their efforts to govern then that could have negative effects on my life.

            One thing we can pray is that God will give our governmental leaders godly advisors. We can pray that the leaders will listen to these godly men and women as they make decisions. I can see in scripture where godless or ungodly leaders acted favorably towards believers; that is a good thing we can all pray. We can also ask God to allow His favor to rest on the land they are governing. Having godly advisors close to our leaders can bring great blessing for everyone.

            Since we are in election season, I want to encourage you to pray and ask God to guide you in choosing the best candidates for the jobs. We want the best candidates from the president all the way down to the mayors. I believe God will guide us if we ask.

            I want to encourage you to go and vote. So many people don’t vote in elections. I read that if all the people who didn’t vote in the last presidential election voted for a third party candidate they would have won easily. Encourage your neighbors and co-workers to go out and vote. Voting, especially in local elections, is very important. A few votes can determine which local officials are elected.

            While we are talking about praying for our leaders, I would like to add another group of leaders to your prayer list. I want to encourage you to pray for your pastor. Pastors need our prayers. We want them to pray for us. I love it when my pastor prays for me. I imagine he likes when I pray for him, too. Pastors are on the front lines for our churches and they need our prayer support and encouragement.

            While we are praying for pastors, let’s pray for all our church leaders. Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, elders, deacons, choir directors, and missionaries all need our prayers. It is not easy to keep a church moving in the right direction and every prayer makes a difference. I believe it pleases God when we are interceding for all our church leaders.

            I want to encourage you to spend some time praying for all the different leaders in your life. In this election season, we need God’s wisdom to make good choices. In our churches, we need to pray for our pastors and all the leaders to guide us and make good decisions so we can make a difference in our communities for Christ. In our professional lives, we need godly men and women to make good decisions so our places of employment will grow and prosper and we can keep our jobs. When we pray we are having an impact and changing the world around us. So do your part and pray.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Looking at Food Labels

by   October 5, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I’m writing this on Thursday morning and just back from one of those glorious runs that really jumpstart the day. I watched the Yankees/Indians playoff thriller last night, slept three hours and hit the road just after 5 a.m. this morning. I had an air temperature of 50, no wind, light ground fog and a glorious nearly full moon that illuminated the road. Now my mind is racing with ideas to share with this column.

I serve as wellness consultant for a company out of Carson City, Nevada, and the September health topic concerned food labels and how to make sense out of them. One of the best topics we shared this month had to do with misleading food product labels and the inaccurate claims made that don’t coincide with the FDA information that’s required.

What we eat makes a lot of difference in our performance, but its just one part of the complete puzzle. But here are some things to watch for on food products as you shop. Yes, I’m one of those people who reads the label on anything I buy. This is a sure sign of caring about your body. That person you see in the grocery aisle reading the back of the container is making an investment in their future.

Here are some of the claims and a quick primer on the real facts as I see them.   

Low-fat

Something that’s low fat doesn’t mean it has fewer calories or that you can eat it without concern for weight gain. Be aware that any reduced fat is likely to have added sugar to salvage the taste. And a big benefit of good fat is that it makes us feel fuller longer, so it takes less to satisfy our hunger.

All-natural

Foods with this label want us to believe they are better for you and the environment. The manufacturers want us to believe we are doing something good for our bodies. All-natural foods are not organic and these foods remain unregulated. I bought a jar of peanut butter the other day with this claim and found no FDA label. There is no guarantee that the product has better ingredients or production that makes it better for you. Buy foods made with healthy and whole ingredients, locally produced if possible.

Vitamin-fortified

The manufacture wants us to think that we are getting extra vitamins in products labeled this way. Likely as not, we would be buying food that was stripped of essential vitamins in the process of making it, then some or others may have been added back in. Avoid as much processed food as possible due to this practice. Processed food, including nearly all packaged snacks, want the public to think of vitamin fortified as a way to forget the empty calories, excess sugar and unhealthy fats. Get your vitamins in the fruits and vegetables that should have them.

GMOs

Manufacturers want us to believe that GMOs are bad and a “no GMOs” label means the product is good for us. And that we should pay more for it that since it has not been genetically modified. There is conflicting research on this topic, and more coming daily with mixed results. Some suggest that GMOs help foods last longer, have higher levels of antioxidants or vitamins and likely will taste better. My suggestion is to read the complete FDA label for health benefits instead of focusing on the product claim.     

Organic

Possibly the most used term that wants us to believe that these products are healthier, safer and better for the environment. But the reality is that the USDA has strict guidelines that are hard to achieve, including those grown in soil that has been pesticide-free for three years, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats and raised in conditions that emulate their natural environments. Most often, these claims can’t be guaranteed. The organic label according to past Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman is a marketing tool rather than a guarantee of food safety, nutrition or quality. But I do believe that there is a certain added value in organically labeled products especially when purchased from locally known farmers or businesses.

Two actual running races are scheduled locally in October. Look for upcoming running events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

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