Yesterday I waited at the County Health Office with my 13-month old for 1 and a half hours for a H1N1 vaccine.... only to leave because we were nowhere close to being called and my daughter was squirming beyond belief. She would only be satisfied if she was playing with the kids who had runny noses.
Today we went back armed with books and snacks and colors. Annike was pretty good for a one-year old who has to wait 2 hours over naptime for a shot. I can't blame her if she wanted to get down and crawl on the floor, or color with the other 7-year old girls.
After a total of 3.5 hours in a county health waiting room, I am left asking: Was it worth it? It is possible that we picked up something worse than Swine Flu in the crowds. We are an overall healthy family (thank You, Lord!) and a bout of the flu is not likely to kill us... but who wants the flu? And who wants their child to get it when it was possible to prevent the disease? We do what we can to stay healthy, but ultimately God has our lives in His Hands. This fact gives me peace and prevents the paranoia that media dictates from building unnecessary momentum in my head.
And then I thought... we do an awful lot to prevent an unfamiliar animal flu from becoming a public health crisis, but there is a Spiritual epidemic currently raging. I know the vaccine, and I should share it with others: a simple acceptance of the Truth about our Savior. There is no shortage, and no long line to wait in.
