Praying for a Higher Level of Protection

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Praying for a Higher Level of Protection

Hello from our Influenza-ravaged household!

For the third year in a row, the large area of over 6 million people that we live and work in has been hit hard by the influenza season. Greater San Diego has 3.5 million peeps, Baja Norte Mexico... which includes Ensenada and the village we work in, San Vicente, has confirmed 2.5 million souls. A combination of dense population, friendly winter weather (cool but not ‘stay home and don’t go out’) and punchy viruses have meant for thousands and thousands of people affected by winter colds and flu. Each of the public health administrations in San Diego and Mexico have declared the level of Influenza as epidemic each year.

Lori and I have, for the last 3 years, been hit hard by the yearly Influenza epidemics here. This year was no exception; December was marked with some serious home-sick days, and the lingering coughs are still hanging on. We end up ‘down with the bug’ for a couple of weeks each year.

Yes, we have had to slow up or postpone some ministry activities due to illness.

I’ve been studying the maskil Psalm 88, where the writer... David’s lead-worshipper Hamen... in a time of intense sickness and suffering;

            “¹³ But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

            ¹⁴ Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” (Psalm 88: 13-14)

Have you ever been lying on the couch, super-sick with a flu, with coughing/fever/body aches, unable to get much done... and prayed that Psalm 88 prayer? I sure have been there... recently...

Why? Why our annual ‘down-sick’ battles? Regardless of all the precautions we take (first to get flu vaccines each year, vitamin and diet regimens, vigorous hand-washing, etc.), being ‘in ministry’ means working closely with people... and people easily share the viruses they are fighting themselves. Also, ministry means a great deal of hard schedules, travelling and activities. This means a great deal of expended energy in long, tiring days, and it also means being with a lot of people, all of whom have viruses to share.

SO, dear friends, join us as we are praying for a higher level of protection from these regular, seasonal, debilitating illnesses that we keep fighting. These past few years, the coughing lasts for a couple of months, regardless of the talented doctor’s interventions.

‘Higher Level of Protection’... please, PLEASE, Lord, we are a bit sick-and-tired of feeling so sick-and-tired...

Chris      

(pic credit: ‘The Right Hand of God Protecting’ by Jean Fouquet, circa 1455, Illuminated Manuscript, in the Robert Lehman Collection, 1975)