To Your Health
A sober truth of my attitude of frustration during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a member of the LCPC Reopening committee it should surprise no one that I stayed current with the CDC COVID-19 information, State and County guidelines. In addition I read peer review articles from the Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA), the Journal of American Osteopathic Association (JAOA), and information from the Mayo Clinic. Not only was the reading part of the LCPC Reopening committee, but this is very personal as members of my family are in the health care profession.
STATISTICS
As of this writing, the world’s death rate is over 805,000, and in the United States it is over 176,000 according the John Hopkins data https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Unfortunately that is only part of the picture. Not all states (including CA, IL, DE, LA, MI, MO, NE, NC, TX and Dist. of Columbia) report the total number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Of the states that do report, over 358,000 people have been hospitalized according to https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_coronavirus_hospitalizations.
With numbers so large we have become numb to the human toll. Too many Americans having an attitude that somehow wearing a mask infringes on their personal freedom, or disregard to social distancing. It is as if mankind has forgotten that we are to love our neighbor as our selves.
FRIENDS and FAMILY
It is because I want you…. my friend, my neighbor, my family, to be in my life. I had several of my co-workers, lose family members: a sister, a cousin, and a grandmother to COVID-19 and “attended” the funeral via ZOOM. My gawd how devastating and heartbreaking. My brother-in-law just lost a colleague he used to work with; in-fact he has lost three. Three health care workers, lives lost too soon. Last week when I talked to a friend of mine, she shared that her cousin has been on a ventilator since July and how the family is praying for a miracle.
CHURCH
LCPC just held our first outdoor worship service and it was great to come and worship together. Everyone wore their masks and were reminded of the 6ft social distance. LCPC worked hard to reopen. We want to stay open so we can come together to worship our Lord; together as the body of Christ. As individuals we must take this pandemic seriously. Let us stay diligent with our safety precautions, it is then that we demonstrate our love of our neighbor.
Pollyanna and Fruits of the Spirit
Pollyanna, is a classic piece of children’s literature about a young orphan girl sent to live with her grumpy aunt. Despite the situation, Pollyanna always seemed cheerful. Her cheerfulfness was the result of the “glad” game she would play with her father when he was alive. The point of the game was to look for for the good in every situation.
I have to remind myself that througout the ages people have had wars, starvation, disasters, and yes, plagues. We are faced with similar challenges, just like generations before us. We call these unprecedented times, but looking back throughout history they have faced similar challenges.
How do we get through these events? It is far too easy to look at all of problems, instead we need to look for the positive! As Pollyanna-ish as it may seem, I’m trying to mentally play the glad game. The game is actually very easy to play and after a while my attitude is upbeat. Just look at the scores of volunteers who help family, friends, neighbors and stangers. Countless number of volunteers are sewing masks and then donating, people are running errands for each other, helping distribute food, giving blood, and the list goes on. We can be glad…there is so much positive things going on around us if we just look and focus on the positve.
I am reminded that the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patiences, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22) all are traits in the classic novel, Pollyanna. I see the fruits of the Spirit all around me being demonstated everyday in a world that is full of chaos.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day is June 21st. Our day to celebrate dad’s. We give cards with sweet and sometimes funny sentiments. We might cook his favorite meal or eat at his favorite restaurant, or gather for a family barbque. However for many, the day is a reminder of a dad that never existed except in a greeting card. The absentee father, whether physically, mentally or emotionally can produce detrimental consequences that last for generations.
Proverbs 4:1-27 is referred to as a father’s instruction to his children. Dad’s are to provide sound teaching; a father instructs his children to: verse 5: acquire wisdom and understanding; verse 14: do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men; verse 23: watch over your heart with all diligence For from it flow the springs of life. Wise words of instruction, but also it is words of action. Children learn by watching and then by emulating.
When a father is absent, the risk is far greater that a harmful pattern will be established. We learn from our parents both the good and the bad. I think of Exodus 34:7 often referred to the as the “generational curse”. Adam had sinned and his fall from grace is upon all of us.
Generation of failing. Adam lied, Abraham lied about his marital status when introducing Sarah to the King Abimelech, King David lusted after Bathsheba and conspired to murder. Yet all by the grace of God, were forgiven, and became pillars in the Judeo-Christian faith. Their children were not cursed, but the values or lack there-of created a pattern of sinful habits by their offspring.
Not to dispair, because it is possible to break off the chains of self-destruction and start a new. Romans 11:11-24 shows us that with Jesus we are “grafted into a new tree”. Jesus forgives our sin. Romans 11:27 “This is My covenant with them When I take away their sins”.
For one reason after another, a man’s spirit was broken and the harm it produced has been generational. Our country cries out because too many have had their spirit broken and as a result the pain and bondage is passed down. As Christians we are to spread the Good News of the Gospel, share the Love of Jesus that he commanded; but individually as Christians and as a nation under God how hard are we really trying?