April Health Ministry Notes

 Greetings in the name of the Healing Christ! As we enter into this Easter season amid uncertainty and turmoil, remember we have a God who provides for all our needs, beyond our understanding. Our faith strongly influences our experience of health and illness, birth and death. There is no better good news than the Gospel: Christ died for us! We offer the following guidelines for experiencing better health and wholeness.
 It is impossible for us to escape the constant barrage of information that is thrown at us about the Covid-19 pandemic and to know what is true or false in all the news reports and social media comments that we hear. It is so important to protect ourselves and our loved ones from infection and deal with the stress we are feeling these days. The world has faced worse pandemics than this in the past and we can learn from the past. Think about your Grandma and what she told you about keeping clean. “Wash your hands! Use bleach water to clean up dirty spills! Don’t get close to someone who is sneezing and coughing!” She was using her common sense and what she had been told by her mother, to protect her family.
 Common Sense…..Use it and your knowledge to protect yourself. It's so easy to believe everything that you hear but it is so important to go to expert scientific sources for information. I highly recommend that you listen to the scientists like Dr. Tony Fauci or go to the website of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.gov) for the most up-to-date information on the pandemic, virus, symptoms, testing, incubation time and how to protect yourself. There you will find recipes for hand sanitizer, bleach solution etc. and information about hand-washing and sanitizing surfaces. Be sure to check this site to validate anything you read or hear on-line or in the news. If it is not there it probably is not true.
 Don’t ignore the restrictions put on you by health professionals. We Episcopalians love to hug during the peace, but that isn’t safe anymore. Why? Covid-19 is spread just like colds and flu- by droplets. If you are close to someone who is infected, microscopic droplets could end up in your eyes and nose and give the virus an entry. That goes for your hands as well if you touch your face. You wouldn’t even know you were being infected!!
 It is tough to be isolated, even when you are with family. Here are a few thoughts to help you to cope.
 Be positive; think outside the box. There are so many things that we can do to keep ourselves connected to each other.
 Most important is to have a positive outlook. Trust in the Lord. Remind yourself of the poem Footsteps in the Sand.
 Don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself. If you get frustrated with being idle at home, clean out those closets, go for a walk, work in your garden, sing along with a CD.
Find ways to connect to those in our community who are alone; call, write notes, e-mail others.
 Play board games or do puzzles with your children instead of just sitting around with headphones on. Learn something new every day, study your Bible, read to each other. Help your children to think up activities. You would be surprised how creative they can be. My great niece and nephew have made up a silly song to sing while washing their hands!
 I believe this may be a time that the Lord is giving us to reconnect with our loved ones and greater community! Use it well and you will end up helping yourself too.
 So, trust in the Lord, pray, take care of your neighbor and above all… Wash your hands and drown a germ.
 – Anne T. Rodgers, (MAT; Public Health), PhD, MLS(ASCP) Clinical Microbiologist.     Retired Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science.