December 30, 2002
DOWN HOME:
A dog-gone cure for common colds
___So much for medical science.
___Just a few weeks ago, I stood in line on a Sunday afternoon to receive my flu shot for the 2002-03 winter. "They" say this is going to be a bad flu season, so I wanted to be protected.
___You know what happened, don't you?
___Got sicker 'n a dog.
___Oh, it probably wasn't the flu. But it was a world-class cold. Grabbed me by the nose, clamped a vice grip on my t
hroat, slammed me on the ground and pummeled me like a tin can in the middle of the highway.
___If you gave your loved ones Christmas presents of stock in companies that make tissues, cough syrup, pain reliever and decongestant, I made them rich.
___Really, we made them rich. I didn't endure this little malady alone. Molly, our high school sophomore, came down with it first. Then Joanna, my bride, got sick. And I followed. Only Lindsay, our college freshman who lives in a dorm with a couple hundred of her closest friends, avoided sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose and a cough that could call geese down from Canada.
___When I said I got sicker than a dog, I was mistaken. Betsy, our dog, never even hiccuped.
___That's what I can't figure out. I got my shot. I avoided sneezing and coughing people like, well, the plague. I take my vitamins, keep my feet dry and my head warm. When I get home from church, I hightail it to the bathroom to scrub my hands. And the Coldbird of Misery still flew up my nose.
___Betsy, on the other hand, is my polar opposite. She rolls around on the cold floor and plays outside in the rain. She's never heard of vitamins and echinacea tea. She loves to snatch our tissues out of the trash can and chew them to shreds. And she hasn't so much as sneezed in years.
___You'd think the folks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would do a zillion-dollar study of dogs. They could figure out why dogs can eat grass, lick shoes and go barefoot 12 months a year with nary a sniffle.
___Maybe it's because dogs don't go around with unconfessed sin. They've got clean consciences and a generally hopeful outlook on life.
___Some doctors talk about "wellness," which takes into account spiritual, mental and emotional health as well as physical well-being. That's not to say every sick person has a spiritual problem, but studies have demonstrated that a strong relationship with the Lord helps older people stay healthier longer, and logic would lead us to believe that's good medicine for all of us. I know I felt better when my own doctor asked me about my prayer life.
___But next year, just to play it safe, when I get home from taking my flu shot, I'm letting Betsy lick me on the nose.
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
|