Norovirus.
That’s what the formal name for the bug. For us and our extended family at Christmas, norovirus swept through the ranks and reduced “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” to a lot of toilet-hugging. I can’t remember the last time I got a stomach bug, maybe a decade or more, but I, and everyone around me, will certainly remember Christmas 2008.
Four years ago it was the genuine flu. My son got it two weeks before Christmas, then I fell ill. Then the family came in from other parts. It must’ve lingered because most got sick within hours of showing up, it seemed.
But nothing matched the power of this norovirus. Fortunately, it only lasted about a day, but for a day it kicked everyone like a mad mule.
God came down from heaven and lived as a man. You’ve got to believe that He picked up a virus or two while on Earth. He can identify with all our frailties, right?
That fact that God can identify with our frailties makes me love Him all the more. He knows that you and I are dust. He knows because He lived as dust, even though His body never saw decay. His living as dust makes the Resurrection all the more compelling. He is the firstborn among all brethren, and His rebirth is my promise.
Even in dust, even in the midst of frailty, there is hope.
For Jesus is not just our Lord and Savior; He is our brother.
My condolences on your Christmas-hating bug. Sounds like the same thing my brother has at the moment. He never gets sick, but last night he was up wretching all night, and turned a sickly green color. Praise God, my health has been preserved thus far. Praying you and your family are fully recovered quickly. God Bless.
Can any of us really grasp the concept of the King of Glory, perfect in every way becoming human and taking full part in the human experience.
All of it, everything, that’s what he experienced. Joy, sadness, strength, weakness, temptation, victory, health, sickness, the death of loved ones, school, chores, hot summers with no air conditioning, cold winters with no heating, hunger, thirst everything.
It’s too much for me to grasp what He gave up when he became immanuel. Thank you for reminding me of that and renewing the wonder of Christmas!
Sorry you were sick but God has used it for good!
Ah yes, Norovirus came down our chimney two years ago. Within 12 hours of our extended family feast, there were many of us wretched sinners wretching. Sounds funny now, but it could have killed my elderly parents who still lived alone. I was so sick that I didn’t even call them for a couple of days and found out what was going on there. It was not pretty.
It is amazing, though, what it takes sometimes to get us down on our knees…even if we bow over the porcelain bowl.
And to think that the Creator of the whole universe would pour Himself into such frail and decaying mankind. He willingly came as a helpless infant with a dirty diaper. For me. Why does it take a virus to get me to appreciate that fact?
Dan,
Sorry to hear of your Christmas experience. Your visitor came to our small dot in Australia as well. Reminded me of Cape Canaveral on launch day.
Appreciated your thoughts about our precious Saviour,Lord and Brother.