The day I came down with the coronavirus was a bit shocking really

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

'The day I came down with the coronavirus was a bit shocking really. I had done a set of nights at the hospital and started to feel a bit rotten. I thought it might be the cycle ride I had done. Maybe I’d overdone it.

'I woke up the next morning and I couldn’t pick up a glass of water and I couldn’t move. I was drenched in sweat. I couldn’t bend the top half of my body. I felt like I’d been beaten up. It was so very strange.

'I crawled out of bed and drank three pints of water and rang a friend and asked to borrow a temperature probe. My temperature was 38.3 and I realised that I had it.

'I’m in the Royal Navy and live on a base. I have a room without an en-suite bathroom, so I couldn’t self-isolate. I got back from having my test and went into isolation in a separate building. There were 134 rooms and me with one other guy. That’s where I spent six days. It was really horrendous. I’m a guy who likes going for runs and cycling and it was so claustrophobic.

'The most difficult thing was that my food was delivered in a polystyrene box by someone fully gowned and masked. I couldn’t taste the food.

'I felt myself getting better after three days, but I knew in my head that, on day seven, there was a chance of acute respiratory disorder. That’s well-documented. My mother was very anxious. I’ve been out of isolation for four days now, and she still thinks I’ll drop dead.

'It’s been a rich experience for me as a Christian. I was so isolated, but I felt the presence of God, of my church, I was so well prayed for. I had my laptop and a Gideons Bible. That’s all the kit I had. So, it was Netflix or the Bible.

'I’ve been reading Philippians and it was amazing to think that Paul was under house arrest and was writing to enrich the life of believers. I was reading that book and really treasuring the living hope that we have. It was a real comfort. I don’t know what a non-Christian would have done in that week. They’d have gone mad. I probably went a bit mad anyway, but it was an incredible significance to sense the presence of God. There was no alternative. Normally, I make myself so busy. But, essentially, I was in prison, like Paul. It gave me a different perspective on God and his presence in my life. I feel really lucky.

'For the last couple of days, since I’ve been out of isolation, I’ve been reading Galatians 5, which talks about us being freed for freedom. It’s been so wonderful. I got on my bike and went out in the sunshine. But I know that it’s to enjoy Jesus that I’ve been set free.

'It’s been an interesting experience. It’s given me a real perspective and refreshed me. We go through these things and we are better when we come out the other end.'

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