Typhoid and learning to rest

So this one time, I got typhoid, and it was such a blessing, straight from God.

This month is the first month out of SEVEN STRAIGHT MONTHS that we are hosting groups. Taking care of a family of 25 is already a full time job, and with groups there’s usually just not enough hours in the day. Me and Cassie are in charge of all the behind the scenes things for the groups: finances, cooking/cleaning schedules, shopping, menu planning, errands, cooking on the weekends, etc, so when we have groups, whether we like it or not, serving them dominates our time. Immediately when we got back from our time in Nicaragua, we were swamped with making last minute plans and preparations and helping the groups with everything for their first few days. Lots of 5am-9pm work days. 

This also happened to be when I started to get a fever, feel super tired all day long, achy joints, etc. The last thing I wanted to do was go pay and sit in a doctors waiting room for 4 hours, so I kept putting it off pretending all the ibuprofen I was taking for the fever was going to fix it. I eventually decided to check my fever after a week (which ended up being 104F) and went to the doctor within the next couple days. They tested for malaria, dengue and typhoid. Surprise, its typhoid! All I needed was an antibiotic for a week and a couple shots in the butt from my friend at the hospital. Most people would see that as a clear sign from God to rest, but I refused and kept working the same schedule the next week. The same day my antibiotics ran out, I got another strong fever and a rash that developed in no more than five minutes and made my whole body red and splotchy. Yeah, a little scary. I went straight up to the hospital, they told me its just a virus, just take ibuprofen and wait it out for three days, and REST. 

I don’t always listen to doctors recommendations (my typhoid doctor scolded me for eating street food, then I ate a mango bought off the street the very next day), but since this seemed to be coming from God, I figured it was in my best interests. I rested for two full days, nothing but laying in bed and relaxing. It was weird, but so good, and a great reminder to never get so proud as to think that if I don’t work, God’s work will stop. I am an instrument for His work, I’m not the one actually doing it. When God says rest, rest in confidence that your work doesn’t keep the world spinning, that’s someone else’s job.

I guess to a lot of people, this might not seem like a great blessing, but let me tell you why. 1) Normally after a week of untreated typhoid, you are in the bed 24/7 not able to do much (aka not working all day long running around like a crazy person) and there’s so many more symptoms than what I experienced. God wanted to get me to rest, but he spared me the worst of typhoid. 2) I prayed for weeks that I wouldn’t get malaria (I spent a total of about 2 weeks in areas with malaria, without malaria medicine, and got bit SO many times), and thankfully, God answered those prayers. I have the test results to prove it! 3) Through all this, GOD MADE ME REST. And humbled me and showed me not to rely on myself, that He, in fact, is the one doing the work and all the weight is on His shoulders, not mine.