Corona Chronicles VIII: "It's Not Over: Facing a New Round of COVID-19"

I wish it were not so. I really hoped and believed that the numbers of COVID positives and deaths would be declining and not increasing, but that is not so. I was like many who hoped a “must wear a mask” policy would be gone--soon! I was hoping that innocent and good people were no longer dying from the effects of COVID-19. I can still hope. But, before that hope becomes reality there appears to be another challenge and phase of the pandemic that is squarely facing all of us, in the USA and around the world.

In the book of Isaiah 40:31, the prophet talks about walking and not fainting. He was talking about going onward even as we face challenges in life. Some are battling cancer. Some are battling COVID-19. Some have had stroke happen. Some need knee surgery. Some have children who need daily medical care due to chronic illness. We all have our paths and walks. We each have a journey. Yours is yours. Mine in mine. Yet, we all need each other. 

Sometimes we need help from a friend, physician, counselor, lawyer, painter, car mechanic and the list goes on. It’s a community. Communities and countries suffer. Just look at what is happening in Haiti and Afghanistan. Just look in the mirror and across the street. We all have needs. Sometimes we need an extra push, more inspiration, more energy to face a task or challenge we didn’t see coming. What can we do to go onward and upward to a life of joy, satisfaction, peace, and wholeness. I have three fast ideas. Number 1: Be good to yourself. Take inventory of your needs, wishes, and hopes. Take time to follow your dreams and hopes. Be mindful that grief is normal for all, including the loss caused by COVID-19. Feel the losses. Grieve. Feel. Look inward and find ways to flesh out the feelings and thoughts. Sometimes, a counselor can help us do that. Number 2: Let this time of great challenge be a time to grow spiritually and religiously. Use your faith to grow, change, find comfort, and find peace. Make plans for spiritual growth. Talk to those who are spiritual and religious. Find a group that will help you live thoughtfully, peacefully, on purpose and on mission. Number 3: Think about your season of life. Are you in a growing season? A fallow-ground season? A rainy season? A joyful season? A bountiful season? There are times in life when we transition and grow. What is your season? It is good to pay attention to growth transitions. For me those seasons happened at varying times. Some seasons for me included: Leaving home at 18; having my first child; graduating from seminary; getting laid off as a prison chaplain in 2001; my parents dying; and the list goes on. 

A closing prayer: Gracious God, be with all of us in this unexpected and seemingly unending season of COVID-19. Help us to walk and not faint. May your will be done. Amen.