Never Tap Out

The old saying, “Experience is the best teacher”, rose to my memory once I recovered from my bout with the side effects from the Moderna COVID-19 shot. Like many others, I arrived at Walgreens and took my shot like a champ. I expected one, maybe two, side effects but what I got came as a shock to me and my body.

The side effects for Moderna are tiredness, nausea, headache, muscle ache, chills and fever. I was told that if you don’t experience anything within the first four hours you are in good shape. I took this word to heart and cleared the four hours without issue. After my first shot I only felt tired so the slight fatigue I started to feel didn’t concern me. Nine hours later I felt the fatigue coming on strong so I decided to turn in for the evening.

In the middle of the night, all six side effects trounced on me with abandon. It reminded me of the days when I watched National Wrestling Association matches on television. My side effects felt like a battle royal going on in my body. They all attacked at once. After a few hours, they began to tag in and out of my body. When one side effect simmered down, another tagged into the ring (my body).

This went on for a day but towards the end I began to realize what God was teaching me. No matter what attacks are going on within your life, never tap out because He’s your partner. Given all the effects that were being thrusted at me, I kept God at the forefront. I called on my prayer warriors to pray for me. Yes, don’t keep your struggles a secret. When you can’t pray, others can. I believed that the more people praying for me, the better I got but that’s a story for another day.

Even at the height of the attack on my body, I knew God would bring me out. The side effects numbered six, and they were strong, but God numbered three (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and my team was more powerful!

When I came out of my battle I thanked God for His healing mercies. The thought of this match could be applied to life. We go through valleys and storms in our life but we must remember, no matter how difficult it seems, never tap out. Never give up because your partner is stronger than anything that can come against you. Keep this scripture in your heart and mind, “⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Also don’t hesitate to call on others to pray. Years ago, I went through a state of depression which lasted four years and didn’t tell anyone. I regret that now. There is great power in prayer. Tell all your prayer team. In the end, it doesn’t matter how many people know. What matters is how many people pray.

Have a blessed day!

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