On the Front Lines of a War

Right now we are all on the front lines of a war. Who was it who said that, "war is hell?" If you have read your bible you know exactly what that means. We were all living a very different life a very short time ago before events dramatically changed everything.

We were working, playing, and learning. We were going on vacations, business trips or getting ready for a wedding. Some women just received news of a miracle pregnancy, others just began their hospital treatment regime. What about all the businesses that just opened only to immediately close? The answer is that all of our lives have been interrupted.

People all over the world are gripped by fear and anxiety as they mull over the mind-numbing and heart stopping information on screens every second of every day about the COVID-19 virus. So much of the information seems confusing and conflicting. Most people I know don't know what to think.

There is a lot of insecurity now. What will be the financial outcome for my family, country and the world? Will we survive this or could we catch it and succumb to the disease? I met my husband while we both resided in New York City. We met through a mutual friend, named Sal*. Sal owns and manages an apartment building on the upper east side of Manhattan.

This used to be one of the most beautiful and desirable addresses in New York City. Not anymore. Not since NYC has become one of the epicenters of the Wuhan virus in the United States. In fact, since my last blog post, New York State has been declared a disaster area. This official designation allows for certain emergency help and monies to be released to the area.

Hospitals are being built in convention centers and other large venues to cope with the overflow of patients that officials expect will exponentially grow and fill them. Auto factories, and breweries are being converted into ventilator and hand sanitizer manufacturers. This sounds like I am right in the middle of World War II or the plague.

Sal asked me what I thought his chances of survival would be if he contracted the virus. That is heartbreaking to contemplate. I am praying everyday that nothing happens to him, my family or my church. I pray for my friends who have risk factors for catching the virus and I pray for all my readers.

What are we to do with all this as we deal day in and day out with this adversity? The answer is we were created for such a time as this. This is real life and our turn to shine. It is not a time to grab all the meat so that no one in line behind you can get any. It is not a time to run away from New York with no concern for anyone you might infect in the next state should you have the virus.

Now that we can't go to the shopping mall or eat at a restaurant, is it our time to contemplate the deeper meaning of life? Who are we, and why are we here? Is it just to serve our own selfish needs? Is there a God who created us and has imbued us with eternity and the desire to know Him?

If that is the case don't we have anything better to do than shake our asses, do drugs and listen to music which glorifies evil on a beach during our college spring break? What about binge watching Netflix? Should you really continue treating your parents badly, when you realize their lives may end suddenly? Doesn't it seem petty to be fighting and acting out with those that you are housebound with?

What should we do instead? Rise to meet the challenge. Call people and help them through this. Don't watch social media and news reports about this all day long. Get a morning and an evening update instead. Try to stay in as much as possible, use what supplies that you have in the cupboards and refrigerator before you go shopping. No sense increasing your chance of getting the virus since people are the main vector. You might realize you don't need to shop so much and you can be content with a little less than you thought you could.

Let go of things that you have no control over. Don't be so angry at the way things are being handled, do we really think we could do better than the officials managing the situation? Most of us harbor anger against something being done or not done in our community to combat the virus? Let us contemplate for a moment that there can be no perfect way of dealing with a killer virus. It will reek sickness, death, and financial destruction. What we are really angry at is, the truth about life. King Solomon describes the seasons of life very well in the Book of Ecclesiastes. There are times of joy and sorrow, life and death. We must accept that and make our peace with it.

Forgive people that you have been holding a grudge against, and read your bible. Pray too. This will be the fuel you need to see past and through the events unfolding. As you work through some of your thoughts and feelings and turn to God's comfort in the situation, you will fine yourself trying to work with the situation the best that you can.

I went out in my spring garden and gathered some fallen branches. They are all over the ground after the winter season. I fashioned a cross and used some twine to secure it in the middle. I then stuck some plastic flowers into the twine and I thought about the upcoming feast of the Resurrection.



* the name was changed to protect privacy.