Little did my pastor or I realize way back in April I would still be writing these reflections in October. This is a hard time for everyone and somehow we just need to encourage each other and muddle through!
The picture is from my travels on a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona with Tod and Betsy Gorrell several years ago. We celebrated Halloween on one of the largest ships in the world with 5000 other passengers!
It truly helps during these dark times to remember our good times and know we will do fun things again!
Jane’s 24TH Reflection
I think decision making is hard for all of us. I hate making them, but we are faced with making them all our lives. COVID has made it much worse. I always considered that the best decision was a win-win. However, this pandemic seems to have made many decisions lose-lose.
Since I am immune-compromised, I know how careful I have to be not to be exposed to this horrible and insidious disease., However, right now everyone needs to be careful, since the numbers are dramatically rising all over the world.
On the one hand, I know all the reasons to be careful and the drill has been given to us by the experts over and over again. We know about social distancing, wearing masks, and washing our hands. Despite learning more about the disease as time goes on, these basics remain the same. As impatient as we are today, imagine 102 years ago when the Spanish Flu was killing people by the thousands without the medical miracles, communication abilities, and research facilities we have today. It is very impressive when we think how much the scientists have achieved and learned in 8 months. I also think of ZOOM and the computer systems we use to keep in touch. Think how lonely it must have been back then with no phones, radios, televisions, or Internets to keep us informed. What despair people had to feel when family members or they were dying while having no idea what was happening or causing it and no vaccine or cure in sight?
I have said many times I consider myself fortunate with a roof over my head and food to eat. But we still have to make decisions. I can’t even imagine being a prime minister, president, world leader, mayor, governor, superintendent, or principal trying to keep others safe. Teachers have to decide what methods to use teaching, parents have constant dilemmas on their shoulders whether to allow their students to go to school or not, and students have to figure out whether to go online or in-person or both.
Even retired people have to decide if it is safe to join friends, go out to eat, or stay home. Recently, I wanted to join two college friends I had not seen for a long time for lunch. We were going to meet outside, be socially distanced, and safe. The weather report kept forecasting rain and cold. The counties turned to red, and I decided not to go. It turned out the weather turned warmer and I could possibly have gone and been safe outside. This is what I mean by a lose-lose situation.
My natural love for social interactions is constantly fighting my need for safety, which is a struggle for all of us. With the approaching winter and not being able to be outside, it is getting harder. We are all discussing what to do over the holidays and whether to visit family or stay home alone. We can be well and lonely, or take the chance of being sick and possibly losing our lives. You get my drift when I say it is going to be a long and dark winter.
Jesus had terrible decisions to make, with the worst one being whether he should undergo horrible torture and give up his life for ours. He cries out “My God, my God, why have you left me?” while hanging on the cross. Matthew 27:46 (CEB). Some Bible scholars feel this was a reference to the Psalm of David where David also said, “My God, my God, why have you left me alone?” Psalm 22:1 (CEB).
Ultimately, the decision Jesus made galvanized a Christian religion that is over 2000 years old. What would have happened if he had not done this? We will never know, but there may not have been a Christian faith.
Every single day, those of us in this unprecedented pandemic all over the world are stumbling, falling, despairing, but getting up and starting all over again. We can only pray to a God who understands that we get through this time by making the best decisions we can. Eventually, we will emerge on the other side and need to have faith in that.