The life lessons continue here on the Gulf Coast of Florida. They will persist as long as I live no matter where I am. I’m just choosing to share a fresh one with you today.
If you have followed my health journey, you may recall that last April I was diagnosed with a MRSA infection that reached the bone and hardware in my neck. This was an unwelcome and unexpected outcome of cervical spine surgery I had 4 months earlier. The treatment for this infection called for six weeks of IV antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics for one year following the diagnosis.
The Power of the Sun
The Infectious Disease doctors determined that doxycycline was the antibiotic for me! At the time of transition from IV to oral antibiotics, I was warned to be very careful in the sun while on doxycycline. Within a week or two, I learned why. Having 2nd degree burns on my hands and feet proved to be an eye-opening lesson regarding the power of the sun.
After that lesson, my doctor really hated sending me to Florida for the winter while on doxycycline yet thought it important to see the treatment through. She didn’t get any arguments from me.
The Sunshine(less) State?
We arrived in Florida the first week in January and the weather was very unFlorida-like for most of the month. It was cold and dreary, not what we’ve come to expect in the Sunshine State, not even in January. I hated to complain as I knew my family and friends back home were suffering through bitter cold temperatures and snow. (It’s amazing how quickly 60 degrees seems cold)
It’s Ba-ack!
The sun has made its presence known pretty much ever since. Oh, has it ever. I didn’t realize how thankful I should have been for that lousy January weather. The photosensitivity side effect of doxycycline reared its ugly head the first part of February and hasn’t let up since.
I’m running out of places to break out in a rash and turn red. After I found out firsthand that you can get a sunburn under your fingernails, a friend told me that I need a space suit with AC. That seems pretty accurate! The latest “hot spots” are my nose and lips. At this point, my face is literally the only part of my body left uncovered when I am exposed to the sun. I’m counting on my peeling lips being the grand finale. It’s not easy hiding from the sun in the Sunshine State. It’s downright hard while volunteering for the Pirates at Spring Training.
The Finish Line in Sight
I am very grateful to be on the homestretch of my antibiotic treatment. The power of the sun has made QUITE an impression on me throughout. However, it is no match for the power of the Son, its homophone. On the fourth day, God, through His Word, created the sun!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:1-3
The Word = Jesus
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
You see, we wouldn’t even have the sun if not for the Son.
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'”
Matthew 28:18
There’s that three-letter word again—ALL! Jesus is sovereign; He is over all and above all.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11
The Power of the Son
What challenge is currently flexing its muscle in your life? I have good news–Jesus is greater. His plan and His purpose will not be thwarted. Will you trust Him as your Lord and Savior?
