Thursday, January 21, 2021

Refuge, Mercy, Hope

 


Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the storms of destruction pass by. ~Psalm 57:1

Covid 19, the China virus, has stopped many of us in our tracks.  The promise and delivery of the vaccines have been cheered and celebrated by all of us.  But, how are they being distributed?

President Trump makes the right call to let the states administer their allotted doses in the best way they see fit.  Distribution is best done on the local, not federal, level, and I'm grateful for the wisdom he has shown in this circumstance.

However, when my husband, Danny, gets a notification from our hospital group here in Georgia that he can make an appointment for the vaccine, I am not included in that invitation.  We had so hoped to get the shot in the same time frame, but that is not to be.

Danny receives his first shot, with no complications, on January 13th.  Terrific news!  He is at greater risk from the virus, so we think this is why he is one of the first chosen.  Turns out, as we hear from other friends in our age group, this is not a deciding factor.  It seems to be random.  I need to wait my turn with a patience that is growing ever thin.

After contacting my doctor, hoping he can speed up the process, I learn that his office has no control over who will be chosen in the ranks of those aged 65 and older.  Quite troubling, to say the least.  So, Danny enters my information on an alternate waiting list, hoping that my name might pop up more efficiently and advantageously.  As I pen this post on Monday of this week, I am still in waiting mode.  Rats!

But I will not give up hope.

God knows I want to be able to visit with my aged mother as soon as I can, and to be allowed to travel to see daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and the three grands over their spring break.  All it takes is immunity in time to make these dreams come true.

Until then, I will take shelter in the protective and healing wings of the Lord, who will keep me safe and secure.  He holds my life, and yours, in His hands.  He will not fail us ever!

I will take refuge in God, trust in His mercy, and hold out in hope.

Amen!

39 comments:

  1. Once again, a post reminding us of patience and trust in the Lord. Thank you, Martha.

    God will not fail us. God bless you and your family.

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    1. Yes, Victor, we all need to be patient and trust in God's goodness and His timing.
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Praying they will call your name soon and that you will be able to keep your vacation plans to see your grandkids and your dear mother. Trusting God to keep you both healthy and safe no matter what.

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    1. Thanks so much, Pamela! It is so hard to wait, but wait, I must. It's all in God's time and timing.
      Love and blessings!

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  3. Sorry to hear it works like that, here in The Netherlands I have no clue how they decide, to be honest. From what I understand the vaccine gives no assurance that you cannot get it or cannot infect someone else with it. well, at least the vaccine they have here in Holland.

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    1. I think the vaccines available here, Marja, are pretty foolproof. Although it's a possibility that one could catch the virus after being vaccinated, the symptoms wouldn't fully manifest themselves.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. I hope you will be able to get it soon. I have friends here in Florida still scrambling and hitting dead ends trying to get it for their elderly parents never mind even trying to get it for themselves yet. I haven't hit 65 yet so my wait may really be a long one.

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    1. We are scrambling on behalf of my 92-year-old mother, too, Martha. Just craziness right now, but I'll continue to hope . . .
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Dearest Martha Jane,
    How unfortunate that is!
    Here in Laurens County they had All 65+ by their alphabetical letter of name, over 2 days come out to a huge clinic. VERY efficient we must say at our Southern Pines Regional Park. We drove off within half an hour, that included the 15 minutes we had to park in line for checking IF any complications would show up. Ambulance standing at the ready. We both were impressed. Next day we felt like a rag and had muscle pain but maybe due to our overall well being, recovery from any lung condition takes a long time. February 18 we get our Moderna 2 shot.
    Hoping that you too will soon get yours!!!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Wow, Mariette, now that's efficiency, for sure! I just don't know what's up with the hesitant roll out here in Cobb County; could be that there's just so big a population here. Good to know you've had your first vaccination round, and that you are scheduled for the second dose.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. Good news, Mariette! My first shot, thanks to my husband's persistence, will happen this coming Monday. I can't wait!

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  6. What a beautiful attitude! From personal experience, I know how frustrating 'tilting at windmills' feels. I've been searching online, but have yet to discover even a sigh-up sheet here in Alabama. Wishing you and Danny a most blessed day!

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    1. Oh, my, Mevely, that's NOT good news! Have you checked on line with your county health department or local hospital? They may have some info for you.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. I pray you're able to get the vaccine you're seeking soon Ms. Martha. I think the troubling part is that others/someone is preventing you from seeing those you love, traveling, etc. without it (or so it seems). God's blessings ma'am. #FaithGreaterThanFear

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    1. Faith is greater than fear, J. D., and guess what? Danny was able to access our county's health department and get me an appointment! How great is our God! I'm overwhelmed by thankfulness at the moment, and am so looking forward in hope for the next leg of this journey.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Waiting is so hard, Martha. We got through to the Health Dept. nearly two weeks ago and they said we would be called for the week of the 25th... but here we are, closing in on that and we haven't had a call yet. Several folks here in our community have had their first one so we are anxious. Keep us posted! xo

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    1. Terri, Danny finally got through, after determined tries, and got me an appointment for the vaccine this coming Monday! I am elated, as you can imagine. I do hope you will get your call soon. Florida seems to have this much more under control than other states, and I have a deep admiration for your governor. I'm sure he will make sure everything goes well for his citizens.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. My prayers are with you, Martha. Keep us posted!

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    1. Beckie, thank you so much for your prayers. They have worked! Danny got me in for Monday of next week for a shot with the health department in our county. What a miracle! I can now hope to see my distant family and grands with hope and rejoicing.
      Love and blessings!

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  10. I was just about to comment that I will be praying for you Martha, but I see in your previous response that you will be getting the vaccine you are praying for, so thankful that the Lord answered your prayers! I know your hearts will be so blessed to be able to visit and see your family again! May the Lord bless you richly, dear friend :)

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    1. I'm so thankful He has answered my prayers, too, Marilyn! Our God is too marvelous for words, and knows our needs before we ask. I'm on cloud 9 right now, knowing that there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel of Covid.
      Love and blessings!

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  11. Glad to hear you are getting your shot Monday Martha. That is so cool that you will soon be able to visit your mom and children.

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    1. It's the coolest thing ever, Bill! There will be a waiting period, of course, but by now, I'm pretty used to waiting. Just so thankful!
      Love and blessings!

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  12. I'm sorry, Martha. It does seem to be random for many who received the vaccine already and for those, like you, playing the waiting game. We have heard nothing on our end, here in Tennessee. I'm hoping with you for the news you can get yours and to be able to visit your mom and see the girls soon!

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    1. Well, Karen, we DID get some good news! Friday evening, Danny was able to sign me up for a shot at our local health department on this coming Monday. Talk about God and His miracles! We also were able to get an appointment for my mother not far from her home. Yes, God is so very good!
      Hope you can find out something about the vaccine in your neck of the woods, and soon!
      Love and blessings!

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  13. Yes, may we all learn during these hard times to take refuge in the mercies of our Lord. At the very least, these days are intended to strengthen the faith of those who know God and to draw everyone else to Him.

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    1. Amen, Barbara! May God use these hard days to strengthen our faith in Him. He has heard my prayers as I'm now slated to get my first shot this coming Monday. Hooray! I can't thank Him enough.
      Love and blessings!

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  14. We are in that waiting room with you. WK and I went to get on the list for the shot. He just finished his chemo and radiation treatments for lung cancer July of 2019, and has COPD. He will be 75 in a few months, but they refused to put him on the list until the shot is available to his age group. So, we wait, wait and wait. We are both trusting in the good Lord to see us through safely. Blessing and love.

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    1. I can't believe that WK wouldn't be put on a waiting list, especially with his preexisting conditions, Nells. It seems like someone is lacking basic common sense. I'll be praying that you get the shot much sooner than later. Hold out hope!
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Indiana Is following federal guidelines
    Age groups and doing well
    Surrounding states a mess

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    1. I hear you, Brenda - every state is different about how to go about this. Glad Indiana is doing so well!
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Good for Danny! I am glad he was able to get the vaccine. I hope your name is called soon. We will not be able to get the vaccine for several moths, at least.

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    1. I'm so glad he could, too, Laurie. We thought we had mine set up for today with the county health department, but after waiting for an hour in a car queue, it turns out their computer system went wacky and scheduled 3,000 vaccines when only 800 were available. Back to square one! I won't give up hope.
      Love and blessings!

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  17. Martha, these are interesting times...living in a pandemic isn't the easiest, yet God is our refuge and hope. I'm one of many who aren't celebrating a vaccine for this virus--it's frightening that a vaccine is purposely designed to change our DNA.

    Ultimately, God is in control and He has the power to wipe out this virus with one look. Whether or not He will is a question that remains to be answered.

    Praying for you all!

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Like you, Kim, I wish God would simply wipe this virus out, but maybe its here for a purpose He envisions. It could be that people during this lockdown have become more introspective and are asking what the true meaning of life is. If that leads them to decide to follow Christ, that's a win-win situation!
      Love and blessings!

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  18. We can always rest simply in the Lord being in control. There will always be faults and quibbles with man's administration. It's rolling out well in Scotland.

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    1. I'm so glad to hear that, David! I've wondered how different countries are managing the vaccine. We expect another round of doses to be available soon, so I'm hopeful.
      Love and blessings!

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