Manifest Love During Times of Adversity

Permai Snapshot

Issue 42 June 2021

Manifest Love During Times of Adversity By: Coral (pen name) "You’re Covid-19 positive," the doctor informed my husband over the phone, and the reply from the doctor remained the same despite our several attempts to seek confirmation.

The news kept us puzzled for a moment, and when we looked at each other, we laughed! Yes, we laughed while talking to the doctor over the phone. Is this a joke? My husband did not exhibit any symptoms (he was diagnosed asymptomatic).

We have always thought that the coronavirus is so far away from us, and I couldn’t believe that this really happened to us.

There were many questions in my mind and I tried hard to figure out why we were so "lucky" and "picked" by the virus?

Upon checking the possible sources of infection, the doctor instructed my husband to isolate himself in the room immediately and report to the Covid Assessment Centre (CAC) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) the next day.

CAC then arranged for my husband to undergo a ten-day quarantine at the quarantine centre.

Before doing so, my husband immediately notified the close contacts in the past few days and asked them to observe if they had any symptoms.

Be Encouraged in Heart and United in Love While my husband was at the quarantine center, I had to selfquarantine at home too, for 10-14 days. During our quarantine period, I did not feel anxious but rather, I was full of peace. Thanks to my family members, pastor, brothers and sisters in Christ for their concern and prayers.

Every text message and phone call reminded us that we are still living in a caring community. Many sisters also offered to send me some food and medicine; I courteously declined because the groceries that I had bought earlier were still enough.

Moreover, I was not certain if I was infected too. Nevertheless, their kind gesture of love had touched me deeply.

One day, my doorbell rang. After some hesitation, I decided to put on a face mask and open the door. I was overjoyed to see a grocery bag full of food, herbs, and a bird's nest in front of my house, which was delivered by my care group in the church. I was beyond grateful.

On the other hand, my husband’s condition at the quarantine center was not too bad. Since the quarantine period coincided with Hari Raya season, it was a unique “Raya Holiday” for him this year! Thank God for protecting him as he did not feel any discomfort throughout the quarantine period. Although the meals provided at the quarantine center were inconsistent, the patients did not need to starve. He was so happy to have received some cup noodles from some friends who had completed their quarantine, because it meant he finally got to eat supper! He was also warmed by some phone calls and text messages from his family and some brothers and sisters in Christ and thanked them for their concern.

What I realised during the self-quarantine period was that people often needed love and care from their social groups, especially when they encountered difficult moments in life. Imagine if you were not shown any concern from a social group where you belonged, would you want to return to that social group after the difficult moments? These difficult moments include crises in life, attacks from diseases or viruses, the grievances of losing loved ones, and so on. I am indeed grateful that God has comforted me with so much love and concern from brothers and sisters, where I experienced what the Bible says: "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love" (Colossians 2:2a, New International Version). "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40). Therefore, living out the love of God in the sufferings of others is the most powerful witness for a Christian.

Back to Normal Life My husband came home after completing his ten-day quarantine. Upon discharge, the doctor certified that he was no longer infectious. He resumed work after a day of rest. Until today, he has neither felt uncomfortable nor troubled by any post-Covid conditions. Thank God for His protection!

safe from infection. One of my colleagues was worried that I was still a Covid-19 carrier and switched to a farther workstation, but I do understand people’s anxiety. Anyway, let us continue to observe the Covid-19 SOP and at the same time don’t forget to show love to the people around us.

God has kept me safe from infection too. My second swab test result was also “negative”. After completing the 14-day quarantine, I returned to work in the office. I exercised my social responsibilities by informing my colleagues that I had been a close contact to a Covid-19 positive patient but had completed self-quarantine and was

The pandemic has hit us hard, but we can still enjoy peace in our hearts by the grace of God and His protection in our daily lives. May God continue to grant us strength and help us to live out the love of Christ during the self-lockdown period. Let us “do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Postscript: I would like to share and encourage you with some of the lessons and experiences I learned during the quarantine period.

If you are unfortunately infected with Covid-19: a. Don't panic, follow the doctor's instructions, self-isolate immediately, and refrain from eating with your family. b. Update the Covid-19 status on the MySejahtera app and observe your symptoms. If you are feeling unwell, notify the medical team. c. Exercise social responsibilities and notify people who have been in contact with you in the past few days. d. If you are required to go to the Covid Assessment Centre (CAC) for quarantine arrangement, bring along some water and food. It may take a whole day to queue due to a large number of infected patients.

Do not discriminate against the recovered patients nor their close contacts a. Continue to observe Covid-19 SOP and maintain social distancing to flatten the infection curve. b. Accept the recovered patients. They possess temporary natural antibodies after recovery, which means they are not infectious to others or vice versa. (Reference: http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/garis-panduan/garispanduan-kkm) c. If the swab test results for a close contact person are consistently “negative”, then they are not virus carriers. Please do not discriminate against them.

Be responsible to those around you a. Try not to go out unless it is necessary. Take a shower immediately after returning home. b. Register for Covid-19 vaccination to support herd immunity. c. Refrain from spreading any unconfirmed news.

Reflections: 1. During the pandemic, did we take initiatives to show love and care for others?

2. How should we react towards the people who recovered from Covid-19 and their close contacts?

Editor: Ocean Chan ▪ Proofreaders: Deborah Chow, Choo Ting Hou ▪ Designer: Joan Cheong Please send articles & feedback to: permaisnapshot@gmail.com Interested to join the editorial team? Scan the ministry QR code or speak to us at 016-3374560