Is it starve a cold and feed a fever or feed a cold and starve a fever? The immune system needs more calories to fight infection and recover when you are sick. This means the idea of starving fevers could be a myth as hydrating (feeding) a fever might be even more critical than feeding a cold. Most doctors say to do what your body is telling you. I have a fever but it is on the way down and I am hungry for the first time in almost 48 hours. Not eating (fasting) can provoke the immune system, then attacking infection in the body. When we are hurting there is no right or wrong unless you open a pound of chocolate and dig in! When our heart hurts that may seem a more reasonable response but we all react differently to pain, stress, heartache, disappointment, and other oowies of the soul. Some options don’t immediately appeal to me. I like to feel the full weight of what is happening. I sit on it for a while then ask, what is the lesson? Then I slowly open the matter to God. I pray but don’t go straight to scripture. I don’t know why I’m that way. On my desk, at this moment, is a small red book titled, ‘Personal Promises From God’s Word’ given to me by my sweet friend, Jenny H. You’ve seen it and it’s ordered by challenge. That is why we have so many books about ‘dealing’ with difficult situations and more on the difficult people we know. The one thing we can be sure of is that God cares and provides a way to healing. It will probably take time but help is on the way. So – final question – now that we are going to feed a cold and a fever, what are we supposed to do with covid? Do we have an adage for covid? No insightful answer here except in all things, Ps 9:10, “…those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you”. Check in with God. Check in with the people who know you and love you best, and bottoms up on the water bottle.
Checking in at Checkpoint Charlie, the third checkpoint opened by the Allies in Berlin.