After about four weeks of COVID, we recorded a couple of services for YouTube and preached at four local churches as an experiment.
I was trying to work my way back into singing and preaching condition and it seemed to be working for a week or so. Then my lungs began to rebel, I lost the progress I had gained and soon I was much worse than I had been before.
The experiment was a failure in one sense. I definitely was not able to get back on the road as quickly as I was hoping. But the experiment was a success in another sense in that I learned I was not able to go before I actually got out on the road somewhere.
Does that make sense to you? As my good friend Bro. Barry Gautreaux says, "It makes sense when I say it to myself!"
I have tried since then to follow the advice of the medical experts that have been advising me. I have not been preaching. I have not been singing much at all, none in church. I have been trying to allow my lungs to heal. I have been trying NOT to bring on another backset by my own doing.
Sunday, May 9, marked seven weeks since I last stood in a pulpit and preached in Sharonville, Ohio. Seven weeks! I have not gone seven weeks without preaching in many, many years!
Monday, May 3, I received a text from a Pastor friend that wanted and needed my help. He was in a bind with his secular work and wanted me to preach two Sundays and the Wednesday in between for him. He knew that I was not 100% and he was OK with that.
Kelly Jo and I talked it over extensively and decided it might be time for another experiment.
The experiment would include driving over 700 miles one way. We had been venturing out for long drives the two weeks before in an effort to build up to the travel required to do our job, but 700+ miles was a stretch and we knew it.
We left on Thursday and drove 338 miles with KJo driving the last two hours. We had a good night's sleep and felt great the next morning. Friday we drove 413 miles to our destination. I was feeling those miles, but we had reserved Saturday to rest.
It is a good thing that we had a day of rest. I do not think I could have preached without it. I felt like someone had whipped me black and blue and then ran over my thighs with a semi. I was hit with the steer axle, both dual wheel drive axles and then both dual wheel trailer axles!
By Sunday I was much better, but I really did not get over the trip for at least four days. That is something we have noted in the experiment paperwork. We will have to keep a close eye on travel distances for sure.
Sunday morning I preached a Mother's Day sermon and Sunday night I preached again. I was self conscious wearing the tube from the portable oxygen machine and that bothered me both services. But I was able to gently preach and keep my blood oxygen levels up in good territory.
After three days of rest, I was able to preach Wednesday night and feel much more comfortable in the pulpit. It helps that I am very familiar with this church and the people and I have loved preaching here for years.
We ate lunch with friends Thursday and drove some through the country, but we mostly rested again until Sunday. I was able to preach twice again Sunday and I enjoyed it very, very much.
KJo and I are headed home now and then the experiment will be complete. I am curious to see how I do with the travel back home. We did learn a few things from the singing and preaching portion of the test. I am definitely able to sing and preach, but I am also definitely not able to do it every night yet.
That is better news than I might have expected, but not as good as I might have hoped. This is where patience kicks in and carries the day and also carries us the rest of the way.
What comes next? We go back home, preach there as the opportunity presents itself and do our best to give my lungs some more time to heal. It is time to get the BoggsMobile out and run it a few miles. It needs a wellness and preparedness check and I also need to see how driving the bus affects me.
I was hoping for an early June resumption of revivals, but that is probably pushing the envelope a bit. So no timelines yet. We will continue to wait on the Lord and watch Him do His amazing work in our lives.
When the wait is over, ...the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Hallelujah!
Thank you for following along with us.
Davy
