I Did It All By Myself This Time

Dear John,

 

I did it all by myself, without any help from you. You've been taking responsibility for it for so many years that I wondered if I would ever do it again. But my competence exceeded my expectations, and it is done. I went out and got a stomach virus all on my own without waiting for you to bring it home from Panera for me.

 

Norovirus - cause of most GI bugs

You really were a carrier, you know. You worked with so many young mothers with children in school and day care, that the place served as an incubator for everything that was going around. Tummy bugs never stood a chance with you. But I've been a magnet for them ever since I had salmonella in college. A couple of your young mothers would get a bug, and 48 hours later I always had it. Germs jumped on you at work, and onto me as soon as you got home. Your consistency as a carrier was amazing.

 

There is something going around, and I got it all on my own. I was probably exposed to in in Indianapolis, though it could be somebody I stopped and talked to around town earlier in the week. That narrows it down to about a quarter of the town. I don't believe even CDC could track this one.

 

And the Good News Is:

I missed work yesterday and today, and I absolutely have to get to work tomorrow and Monday. I'm not sure how this will work out tomorrow, since my GI system is extremely (and unpleasantly) active. I have to get to church on Sunday for the 1-year prayers for you and Dick. And Deb is coming for a visit on Monday. I am resisting the temptation to pray for immediate healing, and instead am asking the Lord to do what He knows is best for everybody. And thank you - I learned that kind of trust from you, especially these last three years. Patient submission is a much better posture before our Creator than naming "promises" and demanding that they be kept. And anyway, He's the one Who really knows what's best. It's sure not me.

 

So thank you for teaching me a different kind of faith, and teaching me about submission. Thank you for your prayers for all of this. And, I suppose, to bring the list up to three, thank for all the practice you gave me at having tummy viruses. (viri?) I miss having you here when I'm sick. At least I don't have to cook for myself, since I'm living on Gatorade and Cheerios. Not much cooking there. I'll report in tomorrow and let you know how it's going.

 

Love you immensely,

Joan.