W-w-w-w-ater would be nice

Last Wednesday my computer became infected by a virus and completely shut down. I haven’t gotten the problem completely remedied yet so right now I’m shuffling between a couple of back-up computers.

About twelve hours after my computer went down, I also got some kind of up-chuck bug that completely shut me down too.

Actually, I ate some scrambled eggs that I think must have been slightly-salmonella-tainted.

I was feeling absolutely fine and never got any hint that I was about to go down. Just a few hours before, I had even shared a story with a friend about how not too long ago I ate some leftover Taco Bell refried beans for breakfast and found them most satisfying, even before 11 AM. Not really something I think you would talk about if you felt a queasy stomach on the horizon.

But exactly four hours after eating those eggs, with no warning, I sat up and said, “I’m gonna be sick.” And I was.

The day afterwards, meals consisted of Advil and fruit flavored Life Savers.

A couple of days later as I began to feel better, I had a strange craving for tortilla chips, salsa, and queso. I think my mouth just wanted to taste food again and spicy just seemed like the way to jump start my appetite and get it back in shape. Saturday Scott dutifully took me out, not only to eat chips and salsa but to get me out of the house for a while. I needed some fresh air and a change of scenery for sure!

Of course we had to travel an hour to get the really good chips and salsa, so while we were over that way we made a trip to the Lifeway store (for me) and to Best Buy (for him). As we got ready to head back home, I told Scott he was going to have to stop and get me a drink. I didn’t think I could make the hour trip back home without a traveler. Except this time, the drive-through would not do. I needed to go in, order a large iced tea, sit down and drink it there. The reason I needed to do that was because I needed a refill. I knew I needed a refill even before I took the first sip. And that’s what I did. I actually refilled it twice before I walked out with the third one. I was THAT thirsty.

A couple of days in the wilderness of dry heaves and parching fever left me craving the spicy, but it was the drink that satisfied me more than anything.

I think there’s probably a lesson in there somewhere.

He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. Deuteronomy 8:15-16