On December 29, my dear wife became ill. She had a head full of congestion and a terrible cough. It got worse over the weekend, and she said her head felt like it was going to explode every time she coughed. She finally let me take her to the doctor on January 3 and received a diagnosis: Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. In many cases, it is like a common cold, but with Cheryl it has been much more severe. I’ve done my best to take care of her, but on Monday I started showing all the same symptoms and  it appears that I now have it as well. It does not appear to be as severe for me, but we do sound like a couple of seals barking when we both start coughing at the same time. We have had to change some of our plans, and it appears that we will be staying home and taking it easy for the next few weeks.

Psalm 103 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

We welcome your prayers for our healing. Whether God heals this particular disease for us our not, we are confident that He has already redeemed us, He is compassionate and gracious and abounding in love. Our faith in Jesus assures us that He will not treat us as our sins deserve. He loves us and has compassion on us.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.