As many readers know, I have been hesitant to receive the COVID vaccines. The primary reason is that I already got the virus nine months ago, and my family just got an anti-body test, and we all still have anti-bodies from that event. I am in my late-50s and in good health, and I was mildly sick for just a few days from COVID, so there was no real reason for me to get the vaccine.
But then the Brethren’s announced on Aug. 12: “To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective.“
So, I took the issue to the Lord along with my wife and children. We prayed sincerely. And the next day I was driving alone along a rural road in Colorado, and I got a very strong impression, an undeniable answer in my mind: “If you need to take the vaccine to travel for your job or for other reasons, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be safe for you. If you take it, all will be well.”
At about the same time, my wife, who was not with me, received the same revelation. And my brother and sister-in-law, who were vaccine-hesitant, also received the same revelation around the same time. Wow. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
This is a personal revelation for me. This revelation does not give me license to go around telling other people what they should be doing with their bodies. Note to the many commenters on this blog (comments that have been deleted): mind your own business. Your attempts to shame other people into making the same medical choices you make are pathetic and wrong, and you are nothing but a cowardly bully.
So, the only advice I am going to pass along to others is: be prayerful. Ask the Lord. And if you get a different answer than I got, I will not be surprised, and I will be Ok with that. I already have the antibodies, and I will be vaccinated, so I really don’t have any reason to have an opinion about your medical choices. I wish more busy-bodies understood this basic logic.
Why did the Lord single out the J&J vaccine? I will point out it is more of a traditional vaccine, and according to many reports I have seen the side effects are likely to be less severe. But as I say, this revelation is for me, and if you have different results when you pray, more power to you.
What about masks, you say? Well, the science still says masks are virtually useless against viruses, but, yes, I wear a mask in some situations. But of course your mileage may vary.