Secret Weapon in the War Against Pollen

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Husband, youngest son and I just got back from a bike ride. Despite the stiff wind from the east, we enjoyed the exercise. At least the wind blew all the mosquitoes away. They have been thick lately. Not only did the wind keep the bugs away, but at some points in our ride, I felt like I was flying. Pedaling hard with the wind at my back, I was really moving around the island. It was not so easy going into the wind, but I was able to keep up the pace. It is amazing that I can still breathe these days. People who know me know I usually spend all of March and early April suffering from allergies. Just in time for the most beautiful outdoor weather, I get stuck inside wheezing and sneezing. It isn’t spring unless I have a runny nose, itchy eyes and lungs full of icky stuff. I am in and out of the doctor’s office and have to use a nebulizer and a bag full of medicines. Despite a record high pollen count that has most of my friends and coworkers sniffling and coughing, I have not been sick this spring. Yet. It is amazing considering how the newspapers keep saying that all the trees, oaks, pines and orange trees are all blooming at the same time. Perhaps I should knock on wood. I have a secret weapon that the doctor told me to try in January before the trees started their yearly onslaught on my immune system. I was skeptical at first, but he told me that it worked for him, and he thought it would work for me. And surprisingly, he was right! He had me buy a sinus rinse system. Just a simple plastic squirt bottle and packets of saline powder. He said to use the rinse a couple of times a week and daily if I am outside a lot. I thought that the process of flushing out my sinuses would be nasty, but it is not too bad and in some ways, it is almost, almost, but not quite, refreshing. The best thing is that I have not gotten sick or missed a day off work. I cannot remember ever having a spring that I did not lose my voice and wheeze when I breathed. It feels so good to be able to take a deep breath and go outside to enjoy the cooler temperatures or to exercise. When I am sick, I forget how good it feels to be well. That’s a lot like the way sin creeps up in our lives, gradually until we are overcome with it. Then, we forget what it is like to be clean. Thankfully, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start whenever we repent and ask for His help. Pollen, like sin, makes a mess of our lives. But cleansing is there, we just have to believe it will help and follow through. God is ready and willing to forgive. Just ask.