June 30 – “Yep … it got me”

I woke up yesterday morning and grabbed my usual banana and a bowl of fruit – standard fare for, well, every day of the week.  I opened the pages of my daily devotional book and began to read as I peeled the banana to dig in there first.  Interesting.  After about the third bite I leaned back to take a look at it.  It was a nice shade of yellow.  Just right, in fact.  But it tasted like a green one usually tastes.  We do get green ones on purpose around here, so they will last an entire week without having to go to the store every other day.  Interesting.  After the banana I moved on to the tangerine and pineapple mixture.  Hey, a guy’s gotta have his vitamin C, right?  This last bag of tangerines has been unusually odd in flavor.  Up until this one.  It was just … refreshingly cold.  I handed a section to Chris to taste.  She was reluctant at first.  Didn’t want any part of a prank on my part.  No idea where she would ever get an idea like that.  I would NEVER prank her.  She insisted that she didn’t want to come anywhere near it if it was nasty.  I assured her that it was fine, so she tasted it anyway.  She didn’t make a puckered up, sour face or anything, but she said, “It tastes like the rest of them have.”  And that’s when I knew.

 

See, late Sunday night I ran a little bit of fever.  Since then I have had a head cold.  Just coughing and sneezing and runny nose and headache off and on.  All things that have been typical of my response to seasonal allergies as well as any camp I have ever been on in my 50 years in the ministry.  But enter this all-new bonus response.  Yep.  No real taste to anything.  Oh, the coffee is nice and warm, and I suppose the caffeine is doing its job, but the taste?  Nope. 

 

I gave the fire chief a call and asked about which station was doing the free rapid testing.  He told me to head over to station four by my house and he would call ahead.  The captain was waiting for me, and explained how to do the test.  No brain ticklers here.  Just swab the inside of your nose on both sides and stick it into the magic Covid-detecting potion, six drops of which have been carefully placed into position on a little 2X3 rectangle of cardboard.  I guess I understand now to a certain degree how it feels to do a home pregnancy test and wait for the results.  And yep.  Now I have a little Covid popsicle – a little 2X3 rectangle of cardboard with the long q-tip sticking out.  And on that little rectangle is the telltale little line that indicates positive.  So, I’m either pregnant or … it got me.  The Covid got me. 

 

Yes, I have been vaccinated.  Pfizer.  Both of them.  Back in March, actually.  Still reads positive.  I sent my doc a message on My Chart to let him know. 

 

So, where did it come from?  Well, reports have been trickling in that a growing handful of kids who went to camp with us have been showing up positive since we got back.  No way to know who was first.  It doesn’t matter, anyway.  Now it’s just time to move on ahead to a little quarantine action … or inaction.

 

Oh, by the way, Chris fixed my favorite, chicken enchilada pie, for supper.  Couldn’t really taste it, but I remember that taste.  My brain really enjoyed it.  Thanks, Chris.

 

Matthew 5:44 says, “But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

 

Father, please continue to be with the children who are coming up positive.  It has to be scary for them.  And be with their parents as well.  Give them patience and wisdom.  Amen.