Last week I found myself in the middle of a panic attack.
We have been praying for protection for our family from swine flu all winter. And God has most awesomely provided that protection. I understand that swine flu is "just another flu, like seasonal flu", but to us it is more than that. We fall into the category of having "underlying health conditions". I say "we" even though I know you know I mean Shae. But Shae is part of "us" - all of us.
For this reason our family has been and will continue to be vaccinated against anything we can be to avoid unnecessarily exposing Shae to an illness which could tax her amazing body beyond its capacity. This includes the new swine flu vaccination (once it has received paediatric approval). We do it because we love her and because she is important to us. We do it because the alternatives are unacceptable to us.
So, when I received a "scary" email warning about how potentially dangerous the new American swine flu vaccination is (just a few days after Matt had had his Australian shot), I panicked. I experienced fear to my core. It is a helpless and lonely place to be and it can cripple you to a point at which you are no longer able to function. Now, fear is not something that God has in His plan for us and He was quick to bring to mind who I should talk to about this and to restore my peace (thank You, Lord). He reminded me that He is in control and cares deeply about all these things and that His purposes are sovereign.
This event caused me to think again about how careful we need to be with the choices we make - what we do, what we believe, what we read. Throughout life we are always making choices - weighing up the risks and the benefits. Sometimes they are minor decisions with limited impact on us and those around us. Sometimes they are much bigger. It is certainly much more simple to make those decisions in which love is not a key player.
Love make things trickier.
Sometimes love can lead to irrational choices, crazy behaviour, risky decisions - if they are not weighed and measured and wrestled with. And then sometimes it can lead to selfless acts that can change someone else's life for eternity....... like dying on a cross.
So, because we love, we get vaccinated and weigh the risks. Given the choice, what would you do?
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