I Had Coronavirus. Here's What I Learned.
Coronavirus global pandemic
Our world has changed. From Europe to the Americas to Asia and beyond, citizens of a growing number of countries around the globe have been asked (forced) to dramatically change the way they're living. We truly live in unprecedented times. In the early stages of this pandemic, my wife and I both contracted COVID-19 (coronavirus). We are healthy now, although the world around us seems to be far from it.
In the midst of all the chaos, I've learned some things about life both practically-speaking and spiritually-speaking. I'd like to share with you what I've learned.
Practically
Following directions is a fundamental flaw of humans, but it shouldn't be. When my parents told me to eat my vegetables as a child, I reluctantly ate them. Did I like it? Not necessarily. But my parents knew better than me, and I trusted them. When my high school football coach told me to block Player A instead of Player B, I did it. I didn't always understand why (maybe blocking Player B made more sense to me), but I figured my coach knew more than I did, and I trusted him. When leading health experts tell us to stay inside our home, we should stay inside our home. We don't necessarily have to like it or understand why, but we ought to have the wherewithal to figure that they probably know more than we do about this virus, and we should trust them. It's in your best interest to listen to those who know more than you do - please stay inside your home.
Having no sense of taste or smell is stranger than it sounds. My wife and I had high fevers. We had the cough. We experienced irregular breathing patterns. Our bodies ached like nothing we'd ever felt before. But perhaps the strangest byproduct of this virus was the inability to taste or smell. I never realized how much I use my sense of smell, in particular. I smell everything, all the time. Candles, fresh laundry, body wash, lunch. I think the strangest symptom of them all had to be losing my sense of smell. Thankfully, it came back days later and I immediately started smelling everything I possibly could get my hands on. Strange times indeed.
I love my wife more than I thought I did. Having only been married a few short months prior to quarantine season, my wife and I are definitely still in the honeymoon phase of our marriage. Nothing will get you out of the aforementioned phase quicker than being trapped together for several weeks in a tiny, one bedroom apartment with no possibility of leaving. However, watching my wife be the trooper that she is and being able to spend this immensely saturated amount of time together has only grown my admiration for her. Being trapped together for several weeks in a tiny, one bedroom apartment with no possibility of leaving has been the best thing that has happened to us so far in our marriage. I am truly a blessed and thankful husband.
Spiritually
Community matters. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, an Enneagram One or Enneagram Nine, or a "people person" or not, the Bible is clear that humans were designed for community. And our humanistic need and longing for community does not have to diminish when we are confined to our homes for the foreseeable future. I've been so thankful for my church during this time. I've had Zoom meetings, phone calls, IG Live sessions and more with my church community in this unfamiliar season we are in. Sometimes a quick call or a text to check-in goes a long way.
God's promises of deliverance are everywhere. With all this unexpected down time, I found an old notebook of mine from college that was packed with things I found interesting in the Bible. At the time, I had just started following Jesus and was enamored with the newfound providence I found with God. When I found this particular section of the notebook, I began to revisit some of the passages it referenced. And what I quickly found was that the Bible is literally filled to the brim with promises of deliverance from God. A peace came over my spirit as I flipped through the pages; God is in control, and He is much bigger than this virus. He will deliver.
The church is stronger today than it was before the pandemic began. When the devil got excited as this virus began to spread and churches began closing their buildings, I imagine God's response was something along the lines of "Lol that's cute. Hold my water-turned-into-wine." When my church was forced to move online, we actually saw a 276% increase in church attendance. Perhaps that's because it's never been easier to invite someone to church than it is right now; instead of having to go to a physical location, you can now just tap the screen on your phone and you're there. The church is a group of people, not a building. This pandemic is proving that.
I don’t think times like these bring out the best in people. I also don’t think they bring out the worst in people. I think they bring out exactly who you are. Some people will use this time to learn, engage and grow. Others will squander that opportunity with innocuous relaxation. And trust me when I tell you, I’ve watched an impressive amount of The Office in the recent weeks. There’s always a time and a place.
But I hope you’ve found time to read. To pray. To learn. To connect with others, maybe in ways or to the extent you haven’t had to before. And because we don’t know when we’ll return to normalcy, let’s make the most of whatever time we have left in this unique season of life. We may never have something like it again.
I would love to hear what you have learned during this time. Please reach out and give me a peek into your quarantine experience. Let’s use this time to be better humans. What an extraordinary opportunity we have to do so.