I don’t want to talk about the virus, but I will anyway.

By Gwen Johnson

I don’t want to talk about the Coronavirus.  Let me make that clear. It’s all anyone is talking about, and as a Stage 4 cancer patient, I’m tired of hearing about it.  My husband has quarantined me; I’m not allowed to go anywhere but the Cancer center, which means my daily routine of bagels at Panera has gone by the wayside, and I now have to, horror of horrors, use my own toaster.   

My son, who works at Publix, has to take a shower when he gets home just to come near me.  My husband is an airline pilot for a company who has cut 40% of its flying, and we really can’t afford to lose our health insurance, much less his job. 

Meanwhile, I get to sit on the couch all day long doing nothing but read books (normally my favorite pastime) -  but when it’s all you have to do, it becomes quite tedious.

And every news report  of that virus moving closer to my house scares me.  Because I won’t survive the virus if it hits me – not while I’m on chemo and my white blood cell count might possibly be in negative numbers.

But I’m no stranger to fear.  After all, I homeschool.  

Ok – just wanted to lighten this up a bit.  Seriously - Yes, I’ve had cancer for a year and a half, and I could whine about that too, but haven’t we got enough to whine about?  I’m almost out of toilet paper – and I’m not allowed to go to the store. And there’s no lunch meat at the stores – and so we might actually have to cook something.   Gas prices are down to less than $2 a gallon, but we’re not allowed to drive anywhere. Our lives are pretty terrible, aren’t they?

Imagine what it’s like in a third world country, with no doctors, no social distancing possible (think Calcutta) and no toilet paper.  We really don’t have it so bad. Is it really so hard to stay in our house with our kids for a few weeks? I know some of us are in danger of losing our jobs, and some of us are losing paychecks – but it could be so much worse.  Count your blessings. God is still in control. This morning I read these verses in my Bible:

Do not be terrified. Do not be afraid of them (those little virus varmints).  The Lord your God who is going before you, will fight for you…

You saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place..

He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness.  These forty (fill in your age) years the Lord has been with you, and you have not lacked anything…

Do not be afraid of them (COVID 19); the Lord your God will fight for you.

Deuteronomy 1:29-31,2:7,3:22

God goes before us.  He fights for us. He carries us.  We really have nothing to whine about.

P.S. – Never mind.  Whine all you want. I just ran out of ketchup.