On Fear and Viruses

Psalms 23:1   The LORD is my shepherd…

No doubt some of my readers have joined me in caring for sick family members this winter, and the added palpable fear of contracting *the* virus has caused every minor sniffle to come under investigation. I join in with concern and caution, but I am also concerned about mob mentality panic.

The real fear, it seems, is not that we may suffer from an illness, but that we will be taken unaware and actually die from it. No one wants to die; in fact, the Bible states clearly in Hebrews 2:15 that we are all in bondage to a lifetime fear of death. What we are seeing in the media and in storefronts is the peeling off of an arrogance that we are in control of our own destinies. We simply are not. Each one of us will die, whether by illness (whether brought on by a virus or the breaking down of our aging bodies or even our minds) or by accident.

The devotional I recently went through offered up much fodder for deep thinking, and highlighted the difference between, for example, “The Lord is my shepherd” versus “I am my own caretaker”. Having a proper understanding of the sovereignty of God and of how we are to love our neighbors (ie. don’t buy up all of the toilet paper so your neighbor goes without…) flows from an interpretation of events based on truth. We don’t panic because we know we cannot control viruses, earthquakes, wars, and evil. We don’t panic because the Lord is our shepherd, and his rod (protection) and staff (direction) comforts us in all of our afflictions. Which will be many in this fallen world.

However, with God’s sovereignty firm in one hand, we hold human responsibility in the other. We do not flippantly throw caution to the wind, testing God (and His laws of gravity) by leaping from tall buildings. Or, in this case, licking doorknobs instead of cleaning them.

What are we doing in our home? We continue in the means we have to encourage good health. I encourage you to do the same. Here is a short list. Are there any areas you can bolster up the health and wellbeing of your family? Don’t wait for a public health crisis or panic; make these part of your lifestyle and as much as you can, make your body inhospitable to those bad bugs! Undergird it with the truth of the love of God and His leading through each and every event in your life.

DIET: we follow the recommendations of The Weston A Price Foundation, but we also supplement our diets with various vitamins, probiotics, and herbs. Daily cod liver oil and pastured eggs are important to us, as is avoiding industrial seed oils and sodas.

EXERCISE: whether taking a walk or running around on the lawn, doing something to encourage circulation is vital. And don’t just do the indoor gym or treadmill—go outside!

CLEANLINESS: keep your house clean, from the doorknobs to the countertops, to bathrooms and floors, even the duct system in your house. If this is a challenge for you, try Fly Lady systems.

MEDICINE: we all need a form of medicine on this side of the veil; choose yours wisely. In our family, we use foods, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. We rarely need anything else, but are thankful we have access to over-the-counter and prescription medications should we need them. Want to learn more? Go HERE for homeopathy, and/or HERE or HERE for herbalism, for starters.

PANTRY: keep it well stocked, as you never know what medical or environmental emergency will keep your feet at home or the grocery store shelves empty. The Survival Mom has great ideas and tips on how to approach and do these things. You can also shop for freeze dried foods to keep fresh in your pantry for many, many years (I appreciate it when you use my ID–32981–to order with!)

WARMTH: keep warm! Wear layers. Traditional wisdom says to keep your neck and kidneys covered. Use natural fibers such as wool to maintain good body temperatures. Wear a hat to bed if your house is cold, and do what you can to keep your house warm.

OUTSIDE: go outside and get some fresh air (I hope you’re blessed to live where the air is fresh!) Walk on the grass with your bare feet when you can, smell the trees, look at the flowers, follow birds with your eyes, pick cool rocks. Let your mind wander, which leads me to…

MEDIA INTAKE: decrease this if it is causing you to lose your peace or sleep. Especially lose those inputs that cause you to be angry, make you feel like you have zero control over anything (or that you’re a victim of everything), or that constantly harp on the “enemy” or neglect to give the full picture. If you feel this to be an impossibility for any media, then at least listen to or read the opposite viewpoint alongside.

MEDIA OUTTAKE: decrease your own media conversation (blogging, social media posting, texting, tweeting, etc etc) if you feel like you can never have a thought in your head that isn’t followed by “I need to share this”.

CHIROPRACTIC: I would be remiss not to mention that a lifestyle of regular chiropractic adjustments is so helpful in staying healthy! Patients receiving regular chiropractic adjustments often report being sick less often and, when they do get sick, less severely. Read HERE and find a principled chiropractic doctor HERE.

SLEEP: sleep. Sleeeeeeeeeeep. Not just the proper number of hours, but quality hours. A dark room, no electronic equipment, quiet, and certainly not with your smartphone! If you are not sleeping, you are not giving your body a chance to repair damage and to heal from the day(s). Please get help if this is an issue for you.

STRESS: Stay your mind on what is true.  Philippians 4:8   Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. If you’re not reading your Bible every day, start today! Soak in the psalms if you don’t know where else to go. Pray for wisdom and understanding, and peace. Only the wicked have no peace (Isa 48:22), but as believers we have perfect peace, regardless of our circumstances, because we trust in God (Isa 26:3). If you are having a problem that you cannot overcome, I urge you to seek Biblical counseling. You can find online help HERE, or in person help HERE.

Many blessings, and peace, friends. The Lord is near, and you are not alone in your very green pasture. Gather your manna, and your trouble, for the day, and bless the Lord for all of His benefits. Our days here are short, but His Word (and our futures) are eternal.

Blessings,