Peace during a Pandemic
April 21, 2020
I am dreadful in crisis. This is a new personality trait that I have discovered about myself and it is not one I am terribly proud of.  I would like to think that I can rise above the fear mongering and horrific reports that great me each day as I stare, blurry eyed, at my phone looking for hope. Why do I think my phone has any answers? Every news report lands on the sensational, every headline the darkest and most terror inducing statement. I have found myself, each day, looking for hope, a sign, a breakthrough...and although science is running to catch up with something they have never seen before, this is not what will ultimately bring us peace. It hasn't worked for me so far. I still find myself waking every morning, opening my eyes and then remembering, "oh yeah, we have a world wide pandemic still raging out there." 

May 6, 2021

What a difference a year can make. I still think I am dreadful in a crisis but I am very adept at riding one out. It was a horrible experience but I managed to avoid the virus.  No, the horror of it all was being alone. Everything was gone.  I had nowhere to go, no family to run to as they were sheltering in place, and found that being locked inside my third floor apartment with very little light, lots of dust and some pesky moths, was suffocating.  Outside the world was green and lush. The birds sang, the tulips burst forth, the leaves returned in full glory...but out there was something that could kill me. So little information was given us at that time that I felt just walking out my front door was deadly.   I sanitized, wore a mask, washed my hands, avoided all people and felt that this "new normal" was going to be the rest of my life.

But then...one day, after much prayer and crying out...the fear left. I decided that being afraid was not worth the effort.  I ventured out into the brilliant, lush world full of color and fresh air. I walked on beaches, smelled green forests, drank in the mountains and the sea...and I was fine. I felt sad that I kept shunning my fellow humans, so decided I wouldn't. Life is not worth living if it is lived in fear. 

And now I am vaccinated. The day I had my first does I felt invincible.  After my second, I felt unstoppable.  

The world lost something during these last two years. It lost is ability to experience joy. We have been handed a culture of death.  We no longer can express our souls or be all that God created us to be.  Or can we?  No one can take away the creative desire to enjoy the beautiful. No one can tell us we cannot praise God when we breath fresh air after being inside for a season. No one can take away the pure joy of being ALIVE and thankful for it. No one can stop the desire to spread this joy.  Go ahead, find that place of beauty...by the sea, or in a meadow, on a mountain, or in someone's smile...and fill yourself up with the joy it gives--the exuberant, giddy, tingly, throw your arms out and embrace everything JOY of being here and now.   The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it!