Ringing in 2021 with Covid is not something I thought I would be doing to start a new decade.
I am a Pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada!
That’s right – Sin City! Huge “job security” for me!
By the way, our sin is no more pronounced, pervasive or perverted than the sin found in your city, town, or village.
For the last two hundred and fifty-five (255) days I have led a Community Prayer Group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/commprayergroup Come join us!) and for the past 255 days one prayer request has dominated – “Please pray for “So and So” who has Covid…”
I have lost track of how many people I have prayed for who have contracted this awful and insidious virus since March.
Most have recovered.
Some have died.
Even worse – some have died all alone in a hospital room surrounded by machines, not family. How often we read in years past the obituaries where the opening line went something like this: “Surrounded by family and friends Bob went peacefully to the Lord…”
Not anymore!
A truthful obituary would read something like: “While family and friends held vigil in their homes, or in the parking lot of ‘Said’ hospital, while receiving intermittent updates from an overworked, overstressed, hospital staff Bob died.”
Did Bob die peacefully? No one knows because no one was there!
Did Bob die screaming his lungs out yet not making a sound because he was on a ventilator?
Did Bob die wondering if anyone gave a damn about him, his life, his pain, his loneliness, his fear?
I don’t know! I never will…
For someone who has sat with hundreds of families who have lost loved ones this time around has been excruciating. I love walking into a hospital room, being recognized by the patient, seeing the warm smile crease on their lips, extending my hand to gently and firmly grip theirs offering full assurance I am here with you to share with you whatever you are going through – I am fully present!
I love praying over a church member in the hospital. I love seeing their eyes close with mine and then to hear their raspy voice utter out loud with mine – Amen and Amen…
I love kissing them on the forehead to show my love and compassion.
I love gently caressing their hair as they are too weak to respond.
I count it one of life’s greatest privileges to whisper in the ear of dear friend, “Should Jesus come knocking on your door to bring you home, I am giving you permission to go.” And guess what? Once permission is granted they are gone within forty-eight hours.
And yet this privilege, honor and joy has been denied over the last ten months.
On Wednesday, December 30th at 9:41 pm, the full sum of the year 2020 took one more cruel twist.
The lady on the other end of the phone was courteous, professional, gentle and caring. This unfortunately was not her first rodeo.
She said, “David I have the results from your Covid test from earlier today.”
I said, “Okay… what’s the verdict?”
She continued, “You have tested positive for Covid…” She went on to explain the proper protocols. Thankfully, Julie was there to hear them as my mind was reeling.
I was not surprised.
I had been feeling puny, achy, chilled and less than myself for the previous four days.
But still…
It’s strange to sit here at 11:45 pm on New Year’s Eve staring at the beautifully lit and decorated Christmas Tree and the clock inching its way toward midnight.
It’s strange because there is a virus inside my body trying to take me down.
It’s little tentacles reaching out grabbing and holding on to whatever it can.
This virus has been very successful in many people.
Will it be successful in me?
I sit here not doing anything and yet realizing my body with its God-given immune system is fighting the battle of its life. And yet, here I am feeling like I am sitting on the bench watching the biggest game of my life being played out and all I can do is sit, hope and pray my body comes out victorious.
In a few minutes I will be ringing in 2021 with Covid!
Overall, I feel pretty good physically.
No fever. No shortness of breath (I have a history of Asthma). Chills. Weakness. Yuckiness wins the day!
Swirling around my head is a sense of “survivor’s guilt.”
I have friends who have lost the battle to Covid.
They have suffered greatly. Spent time in ICU. Have ridden the rollercoaster of being in ICU, then back to a regular room and then back to ICU, on to a ventilator and then transferred to the morgue.
And here I am watching the Christmas Tree and the Clock while breathing with ease…
Why me, Lord?
Why am I not suffering more?
Why is my Pastor friend Javier literally battling for his life after having been resuscitated, ventilated, induced into a coma and more all due to Covid?
What a crapshoot!
This drives me crazy. Covid brings to some mild symptoms. Some no symptoms. Some with life threatening side effects and then there’s me sitting here watching the Christmas Tree and Clock with one caveat – I cannot smell a thing!
I have found myself throughout the week praying, pleading and begging, “Lord, Oh Lord, Please Lord heal me, save me, uphold me.” I scoff at myself as I gaze in the mirror looking at hollow eyes, feeling so desperate and so out of control. Part of me mocks my inner self – “Get a grip David! It’s so unbecoming of you to be begging.” And yet, within minutes I am begging and pleading all over again.
So…
Here I sit with 2021 cruising down my street, five minutes away from knocking on my front door, ringing in 2021 with Covid.
Happy New Year!
Jesus offers to me, to us these comforting words, “Behold, I am making all things new…” (Revelation 21: 5)
I am looking forward to the “NEW”!
How bout you?
Grace and peace,
Laugh often. Fear not.
David!
God sure blessed you with impeccable words that relay always an unforgettable perspective. My prayers continue to flow for you, Julie, kids, church members, and all around the world dealing with this virus. Hugs and love to you all❤️
I wish you would come here a give a talk. Things are so bad in this little town. Everyone hates everyone. Everyone is fighting. It’s really a scary place to be right now. We need someone like you to hold a workshop or 2 hour lecture on love thy neighbor.
David, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Love, Myra
David, lynn and I have been holding you up in prayer. I, as you know, did thiswalk with Lynn. Every day I called in the morning and every day I called after afternoon prayer group. I feel the excruciating pain you do. You see, that was when I was caring fro my daughter’s family in the Seattle area. I could not see my husband of fifty three years. I pray for you to truly rest. Some days it will be twenty hours. Lean on Jesus, rest, pray, lean on Jesus. You are our brother and we have come to love you. Amen
Dear Renee,
You state so beautifully your thoughts and help us to feel better through this journey. I thank you for your kind heart!
As always, your words touch so many. Praying for you and the family as you walk thru this covid journey. You are all loved so very much.
You have been our gift from God these past 5 years, ___days. It seems we should do more to give back to you at this time. But we can pray. And pray we must. You have given us hours of prayer and fellowship with CPG. Thank you for being our pastor, but more important, a Spiritual leader. Not all pastors can say that. So know this band of prayer warriors are behind you and your family.
Be Still. Maybe He has a message He wants you to hear. Remember, LOFN.
David dear,
I am almost speechless. I was fearful of this attacking you(knowing your history of asthma), and to be honest, epithets are ringing the loudest in my mind, as in why, Lord????????? I am selfishly hoping that this infection will be mild at worst. I am glad that Julie is with you. Sending you and the family my most fervent prayers. Love you, my friend!!!!
David I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I am praying for you my friend and trusting that God will continue to do His work of healing in your life as He has done all your life up until this moment. Love to you, Pastor David McKay.
David, this made me cry, as you deeply strummed my heartstrings. You have always been there for everyone, and I know you always will be. Here you just called and prayed with me as I embarked on a deeper journey into the life of a cancer patient. Your prayers were heard and I’m recovering rapidly from my surgery in AZ. Thank you so much.
You are, as always, in my prayers, as is your beautiful family too.
David, we are praying for you; we are hoping you get better each and every day. We hope this New Year brings new hope and health to everyone who is recovering from or fears getting this terrible disease. We mourn the loss of those who didn’t make it.
We lift our prayers for you and send you much love! ❤️🙏🙏🙏 We hope you are soon much better!
Love,
Dixie ( and Beazer)
I kept nodding my head in agreement as I could relate to everything in your blog – but then I read the part when you got ‘the call.’ I am sorry to hear this my friends. You know more than I that you are held in prayer by so many people. I found this message to be really helpful and wanted to share it with you. My daughter is a COVID nurse and not everyone know that you need to lay on your stomach, not your back. Prayers for you and Julie – “This was shared on a Covid survivor group, and another friend posted it to her page. I ran it by a physician friend, who heads up Kaiser Oakland’s CoViD response team, and she says it’s accurate and valuable, and well worth the share. Stay well, folks.
HOW TO FIGHT COVID AT HOME
No one ever talks about how to fight Covid at home. I came down with Covid in November. I went to the hospital, running a fever of 103, a rapid heart beat, and other common symptoms that come with Covid. While I was there they treated me for the high fever, dehydration and pneumonia.
The doctor sent me home to fight Covid with two prescriptions – Azithromycin 250mg & Dexamethason 6mg. When the nurse came in to discharge me, I asked her, “What can I do to help fight this at home?” She said, “Sleep on your stomach at all times with Covid. If you can’t sleep on your stomach because of heath issues sleep on your side. Do not lay on your back no matter what because it smashes your lungs and that will allow fluid to set in.
Set your clock every two hours while sleeping on your stomach, then get out of bed and walk for 15-30 min, no matter how tired or weak that you are. Also move your arms around frequently, it helps to open your lungs. Breathe in thru your nose, and out thru your mouth. This will help build up your lungs, plus help get rid of the Pneumonia or other fluid you may have.
When sitting in a recliner, sit up straight – do not lay back in the recliner, again this will smash your lungs. While watching TV – get up and walk during every commercial.
Eat at least 1 – 2 eggs a day, plus bananas, avocado and asparagus.These are good for Potassium. Drink Pedialyte, Gatorade Zero, Powerade Zero & Water with Electrolytes to prevent you from becoming dehydrated. Do not drink anything cold – have it at room temperature or warm it up. Water with lemon, and little honey, peppermint tea, apple cider are good suggestions for getting in fluids. No milk products, or pork. Vitamin’s D3, C, B, Zinc, Probiotic One-Day are good ideas. Tylenol for fever. Mucinex, or Mucinex DM for drainage, plus helps the cough. Pepcid helps for cramps in your legs. One baby aspirin everyday can help prevent getting a blood clot, which can occur from low activity. ”
Drink a smoothie of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, tea and a spoon or two of peanut butter.
We always hear of how Covid takes lives, but there isn’t a lot of information out there regarding how to fight Covid. I hope this helps you or someone you know, just as it has helped me.”
David, thank you for sharing such a personal journey. You are one amazing person, even in your down time you are leading and practicing the word of God. My prayers are with you and the family. We are blessed by your everyday presence and I know the fighter in you will be healthy again. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.