Welcome to the Read-Pray-Sing Blog! I'm glad you have joined me for yet another blog post on spiritual growth and personal development. Read along and discover the spiritual truths I uncover on my way to becoming my best self through Christ who gives me strength.
This time, I'm faced with some major disappointments in the wake of some big plans... how will I handle them? Will I choose to put my trust in the Lord, or fester in bitterness?
Let's find out!
In This Blog Post:
When Covid-19 Ruined Our Plans
Anyone who knows me knows my husband and I absolutely LOVE our morning coffee. In fact, we absolutely LOVE drinking coffee all throughout the day. So, when my sense of taste and smell disappeared after my first bout of COVID-19 last month, I became severely depressed.
Not only could I not taste my coffee, but I couldn’t smell it brewing either.
Having these two senses taken away from me was like the final blow that killed whatever was left of a joyful spirit.
Nothing on earth is more amazing than our sense of taste and smell, and I am speaking from experience so I can testify to the wonder of it all.
Never, ever did I expect life to appear so dull and lifeless. It was horrible.
Have you ever had a stuffy nose, where you couldn’t taste your food for a day or two? But, after you blew your nose you could taste and smell again?
Well, just imagine that scenario, only tens times worse, except your taste and smell does not come back after you blow your nose, This is what it's like to experience the effects of COVID-19 symptoms raging through your body. It leaves you void of these two wonderful senses.
When My Sense of Taste and Smell Vanished
God knew what He was doing when He created us with 5 glorious senses, and how much they would add to our enjoyment of life.
So, I pose this question to my readers: Are you thankful enough for these miraculous gifts of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling,? Because that is what they are --gifts by which we can enjoy life's rich blessings!
A few weeks before I lost my sense of taste and smell, our church was preparing for a special picnic that was to be held at our new church facility. We were rather excited about this, because we were expecting visitors from another to church to join us, and we wanted everything to be perfect!
Everyone was involved in the preparations and we were down to the last cleaning day before the big picnic!
Then my husband, who is the pastor, became sick with COVID-19. Then I became sick with COVID-19, and the whole thing was shut down.
I'm telling you what, I haven't been so let down like this in a long time. To say we were disappointed is an understatement.
Another zinger came 3 days into my illness when I realized my body had succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19 symptom of having no taste or smell.
Depression and sadness fell over me fast and I couldn't shake it.
"Poor me! Poor us!"
"First the picnic being cancelled, and now this!"
"How long will my symptoms last?"
All the horror stories I've heard from people who said it took 6 months before they recovered came over me, and I became fearful.
A new awareness came over me: I've been taking my sense of taste and smell for granted all these years...
When was the last time I thanked the Lord that I could see? Hear? Feel?
Or gave Him glory for all of these abilities?
My eyes were opened and I was ashamed. I have neglected giving thanks to the Lord.
"Eat, Drink, and Be Merry" Becomes Difficult
A popular phrase from Ecclesiastes kept surfacing in my spirit, "Eat, drink, and be merry." and I began to understand the link between eating, drinking, and being happy.
(Side Note: I'm not referring to the concept of "living and eating for tomorrow we die".)
Here is the full verse from Ecclesiastes, "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor all the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun."
I think of my little 16 month-old grandchild’s eyes lighting up with one lick of his first ice cream cone. Oh, the smile that spread across his face! It was precious, and pure merriment!
Taste and flavor delights our hearts and makes us happy!
And take note what this verse states, "'eating, and drinking, and being merry' shall abide with us all the days of our life, which God has given us under the sun."
My Revelation on "Giving Thanks"
The preparations for our scheduled camping trip began the week we started to recover from COVID-19, and I began looking forward to getting away for a few days.
While my husband Aaron prepared the camper, I prepared all the fun side dishes, which included the desserts and cookies we wanted to take along.
So the Saturday before our departure, I did just that. I cooked and baked in the kitchen all day, and I couldn’t smell or taste one thing.
It curbed my appetite for sure, no extra calories for me! But I had to fight off a depressive spirit the whole day.
Is this fair? We are, going on a much-needed get-away trip and I won’t be able to taste a thing!
“Eat, drink, and be merry.”
As this phrase kept going through my spirit, I felt the Lord prompting me to give thanks instead of complaining.
So I whispered a quick “thanks,” under my breath.
It was finally time for us to leave and my husband wanted to make sure we had packed all of our fun food for the trip. “Yup, it’s all here. Even though I won’t be able to taste it,” I added glumly.
My husband expressed hope that he wouldn’t have to hear me talk about that the whole trip.
I took the opportunity to share with him my new found understanding of eating, drinking and being merry, and how I couldn’t be merry if I couldn’t taste my food.
The Lord was reminding me to be thankful. "Give thanks in all things"...
So, a little later while Aaron was carrying the cooler full of food out of the house, I whispered another, “thanks” under my breath.
When I Ate Every Good Thing
Good news! My taste started to come back, a day and a half into our camping trip. Praise the Lord! Just in time for me to enjoy a juicy grilled burger.
And might I add, there is nothing like a tangy spicy Dorito chip or a crisp butterscotch oatmeal cookie to delight your heart after such a tasteless couple of weeks!
Little by little, my taste and smell returned and merriment was had by all!
I was so very happy and indulged in every fun food we brought for our camping trip!
No holding back for me! With each bite I exclaimed how delicious everything was, and declared, "I can taste this!"
Then my husband remarked how hoped he wouldn't have to hear that for the rest of the trip!
In 3 short weeks, I have swung from the brink of depression and sadness, to being truly thankful again! I feel reborn!
I became very aware of how much food adds to our enjoyment and happiness.
"Eat, drink, and be merry." I will never forget this phrase and how much it means to me now.
The Lord created us with the ability to enjoy life in so many ways!
Let's not forget Him in all of our merriment!
Giving Glory to God
As we face life's ups and downs, let's remember to give thanks to the Lord for all things.
Because He does all things well.
And, because of my experience, I have become much more thankful for life and living.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
As Christian women we need to practice "giving thanks" during any situation we find ourselves in.
Having this discipline nailed down will keep us from being tossed to and fro with every emotion.
The Lord can be our hope when we are anchored to Him. He is the source of our strength.
The Lord can help us through any difficulty. He is omnipotent and understands everything we face.
If you find yourself in the midst of an ongoing situation that is causing anxiety, depression, or hopelessness, go to the Lord in prayer, and ask Him for help to face your situation.
He is waiting for you.
He will give you grace and strength to help you through whatever you face.
I fell prey to depression and sadness during my COVID-19 illness, but, in the end I saw the glory of God.
Through this Scripture passage below, we know our Lord Jesus can sympathize with our human weaknesses, because He was tempted as well, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:14-16
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Tips for Someone Dealing with the Loss of Taste and Smell
Let's Pray Together
Heavenly Father,
Please help us heed this truth of giving thanks to You in all matters of life. By doing this simple action, we give all glory to You!
We know by reading Scripture, that You do all things well, yet, there are times we lose this hope in You because we don't understand what is happening in our life.
O Lord, may we learn to rely upon your wisdom and understanding of matters.
Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Might we find comfort in these words, and trust You will lead us in the way we should go.
Help us not to lean on our own understanding, but give us the will power to seek You first in every situation.
For only then, can we find help, grace, and mercy in our time of need.
Thank Your giving us the ability to enjoy life.
In Your Precious Name,
Amen.
As someone who has experienced the loss of taste and smell due to COVID-19, I can definitely relate to the roller coaster of emotions that come with it. Here are some of my own experiences and tips for coping:
At first, it can be incredibly frustrating and disorienting to not be able to taste or smell anything. Food loses its appeal and it can be difficult to enjoy everyday activities like cooking or even just going for a walk.
It's important to remember that this loss of taste and smell is temporary for most people. Try to focus on taking care of yourself and resting as much as possible to give your body time to recover.
In the meantime, you might find it helpful to experiment with different textures and temperatures of food to still get some enjoyment out of eating. Spicy foods or foods with a lot of texture can still be satisfying even without the full experience of taste.
It's also important to be patient with yourself and allow yourself to feel the full range of emotions that come with this experience. It's okay to feel frustrated, sad, or even angry at times.
Finally, don't hesitate to seek support from friends, family, or a healthcare professional if you're struggling to cope with the loss of taste and smell. It can be a difficult experience, but with time and care, you will likely recover your senses and be able to enjoy the full range of flavors and scents once again.
Blessings ~
Angie,
The Founder of
My Sun & Shade Ministries
