As we’ve entered level 1 of National Lockdown in South Africa, can you actually remember and believe that 6 months ago, on 25th March, we were sent into a complete Lockdown and isolation season? Crazy to think how things can change in an instant and then how things can change over 6 months.
During those initial 21 days of hard Lockdown and these past 6 months, I
have so often been reminded that after my emergency open heart surgery,
following my emergency c-section, I was hospital bound for 6 weeks. That’s 42 days locked down in hospital!
Once the doctors opened me up to investigate what was going on inside my
heart, they discovered a considerable amount of infection eating away at my mitral valve. They removed the infection, but the damage was already done! It had eaten away much of my mitral valve and so a replacement was necessary. A carbon-fibre valve was placed into my heart and due to the state of infection I was assigned to a hospital stay of 6 weeks including antibiotics, 6 hourly, via IV drip! So at 6am//12noon//6pm and midnight I would be hooked up to a drip of antibiotics.
So a 42 day hospital stay was ahead of me and my new born and husband couldn’t be with me! How did I get through those 6 weeks?
• I read my Bible
Matthew 4:4 reads,” Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God.” The Word sustained me and drew me near to the Lord in my time of recovery.
• I prayed
Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call on him” Prayer is talking
with the Lord, and so it was a special time of calling on Him in my time of
alone-ness.
• I exercised
Yes I did! At first, I had a physiotherapist who provided me with 2 assisted
sessions each day-morning and afternoon- and then once I was strong enough, I ventured out on my own! I had a daily routine of walking along the cardiac ward which was on the 3rd floor, up 2 flights of stairs to the 5th floor ward. Along that ward, down the stairs to the 4th floor, along the length of that ward, down the steps back to the 3rd floor and along the length of the ward to my room. Then I continued with daily exercises the physiotherapist has recommended for me! It was GREAT to get out of my room, have a change of scenery and get my body moving!
• I kept in touch with others
Olav and Cianna visited me every day and I so appreciated the messages and phone calls from family and friends! Once I was allowed visitors, I so enjoyed seeing faces and chatting again to others too. My cell phone was one great source of connection!
• I read books
It was a great way to imagine being part of another world and another story
and to allow myself to dream again.
• I had time to think
We so often try to escape our own selves and our own thoughts, and it was a great time to consider life and my dreams and who I was as a person.
And so, today, as you or I face Lockdown of some kind or another, for whatever reason……perhaps it’s an emotional one due to losing a loved one during this season, or just the heartache of so much sad news over this time. Perhaps it’s a mental one and due to the isolation and stress of the uncertain times, you find yourself locked away and not able to face the world right now. Perhaps it’s a physical lockdown, as life as you knew it has come crashing down and you are trying to piece your life back together but have no resources or space to breathe. Perhaps its a Lockdown of overwhelmed-ness and you are barely getting through the day. Perhaps loneliness has been your song over the last 6 months, or just the past few weeks, and you are Locked down alone. As we all face some sort of Lockdown in various seasons of our lives, let’s make the time to:
•Read – the Bible and Books!
•Pray – for our nation, it’s people. For ourselves, for family and friends
and the plans God has for us! And also take the time to just be still and know that He is God. He is our purpose and goal!
•Exercise – it’s so good for us!
•Connect- thank the Lord for internet and devices right?
•Think – let’s take the time to find ourselves again!
No matter what kind of Lockdown we face, WE CAN DO THIS!
hope of heart 