Ever been goaded into something?

Did you ever get the feeling someone is preventing you from doing what you want to do? Well, of course, we have all been prevented in one way or another from pursuing something we desired. But this is kind of strangely specific. 

In my last post, I mentioned that "my number had come up" in the lottery to receive a treatment of EvuSheld. As I mentioned, I was scheduled for the injections on Tuesday, and sure enough I received them. The advantage of this regimen is that I could get more or less instantaneous antibody protection against Covid19 before exposure. This is important for us immunocompromised patients, because our bodies may not create enough antibodies, even though I have had three doses of vaccine. EvuSheld provides antibodies directly into my system to help prevent a Covid infection. This treatment is distinct from other monoclonal antibody treatments which have been given to vulnerable patients AFTER they contracted Covid. 

Having this new level of protection has been helpful to me and Jill as we gradually exit our strict quarantine, because we have more confidence about my immunity. As a result, we decided once again to take our travel trailer to a campground. We have been getting the old girl out of mothballs, so to speak, and now she is ready to go. I checked the forecast. No freezing weather in sight. I booked a campsite at South Beach State Park...again...and we have been anticipating our first camping trip in nearly a year. 

Yesterday, we noticed that the forecast for Newport, which is just north of SBSP, is now showing freezing temperatures for the time we have reserved. This morning, the forecast is for even lower temps. So, once again, we are going to have to cancel our trip or run the risk of damaging our trailer by having the plumbing freeze up. 

If you have been following the blog, you will realize that this is the third trip to the Oregon coast that we have had to cancel because of freezing weather. Every time, the forecast has been for fair weather and relatively warm temperatures, until the week before our scheduled departure. It's beginning to seem like a theme. It's beginning to seem like someone doesn't want us to go to the coast. I wonder if it could be our Heavenly Father, who is protecting us from only He knows what. 

One of the lessons we have learned in the past eight months is that things change, which means plans change. Another lesson is that there is no percentage in "kicking against the goads."* (See Acts 26:14) You'll only do yourself more harm. In other words, if our Father says, "No." He means "No." So, we have concluded that there is something from which He is protecting us. Could we proceed to go camping anyway? Yes, but we don't think it's worth risking possible harm, or worse, offending the God Who has been so good to us. 

And so, we will go another time...maybe. In the meantime, our trailer is in tip top shape for the next camping trip we are able to take. It's all good.

* Why did Jesus say it's hard for Saul to "kick against the goads"? Stubborn animals kick against the goads (a goad is a long rod with a sharp end that is used to prick an animal to move or to move in a different direction). Kicking against the goads inflicts pain to the kicker. Jesus was saying that in the process of persecuting Christians, Saul was hurting himself. Since he wasn't hurting himself physically, the Lord was likely referring to the impact on Saul's conscience.