THE TASTE OF JOY

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him.” (Psalms 34:8)

“I know of no greater need today than the need for joy. Unexplainable, contagious joy. Outrageous joy.” (Charles Swindoll, from Laugh Again)

It can go without saying that drugs both kill and save lives and heal. That is true when the drug is used in a right manner. Millions have a better quality of life because of useful drugs. It is the abuse of drugs, and alcohol  that leads to addiction that can kill and turn a once respectable person into a garbage container for all sorts of narcotics and various forms of adult beverages. During covid a drug may have saved my life. 

On April 1st 2020 I was in an Emergency Vehicle being transferred from my home to a hospital in Culpepper, Virginia. It was my second such trip within a few days. The first was when I was incapable of walking, dehydrated, very serious diarrhea, unable to eat or smell. Both my wife and I at first did not think I had covid but eventually all the signs pointed to that. It was confirmed in the emergency unit at the hospital, but not for four days later because at the time the turnaround time for testing covid took that long.

I got the call confirming it from a woman at the Virginia Department of Health.  She confirmed that yes, I had tested positive for Covid plus I had a touch of phenomena. I then realized how serious was my case. She suggested I go immediately back to the hospital. 

So as I road in the EMS vehicle I asked the attendant what day it was. He said Sunday, April 1st. I laughed and said, “How fitting! April Fool’s Day.” Later I concluded that a few weeks prior I made the foolish mistake of taking an Amtrack train to New York City, when warnings were already out about how the virus spread. I was a victim of that epidemic which was in its early stages.

The hospital, I think, gave me antibiotic medicine. I had a sleepless first night. In the morning a doctor came to see me and asked if I wanted to take the hydroxyquinone drug (which at the time the pharma industry had not yet succeeded in getting it banned). I said yes, not thinking much about it one way or the other.  

The next morning, I saw my breakfast tray by my bedside. I had not touched the 4 meals they had brought me up to that time because of my loss of appetite and smell. But this time I saw a cup of orange juice and took a sipe. I think I drank the whole cup. I then called Cindy my wife all excited. I said to her,

“Honey, I can taste!”

“I can taste.”

“I can taste.”

Yes, three times I said it. It was pure joy!

The next day the doctor said all my vital signs were good and that I may as well go home. I took the drug for five more days plus the antibiotics. Within a week to ten days I was back to normal. Cindy also had the virus and it didn’t impact her in the way it did me. In my case I attributed the fact I had an Asian doctor who knew what medicine I needed as an answer to prayer of people who knew I had covid and were praying for me.

Now I’d rather have not wanted to experience the covid effects that I did and the remarkable way I recovered to experience that joy I felt in the hospital from just an orange drink. But I will never forget the feeling I had when my taste and smell and appetite came back to me.

Joy tasted so good.

I have always loved and quoted often in sermons I preached quoting Psalms 34:7 “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” As covid began to take many lives my job became even greater that the Lord used what would become a banned drug to potentially save my life (although when experiencing covid the thought of dying never entered my mind). 

Why does the Scripture use the word taste in respect to the goodness of the Lord? Because in the natural we can relate to the word. To taste something---liquid, solid food---is to experience something enjoyable. If taste in the natural is an enjoyment how much more in the spiritual and in the super-natural.

My purpose in sharing this besides being a testimony to the answered prayers for me and Cindy from people I heard from around the world; is to write about the importance of joy in our lives.

It is time for joy. Even a revival of joy!

Read more in my book, A Drink Called Joy, available here:

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