Peace in the Midst of Insanity (COVID-19)

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When I first starting seeing reports about COVID-19 I didn't pay much attention. In the nearly sixty years that I have been on this earth I have seen, lived through, and experienced a lot.

I was born in the midst of the Vietnam War and witnessed daily reports of its horrors until it finally ended in 1975. I was 14-years-old and I was an only child; a lot of my friends lost brothers and other family members in that war. Over a million people died; 58,148 were U.S. soldiers. Another 75,000 were severely disabled, 23,214 were 100% disabled, 5,283 lost limbs, and 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. 11,465 of those killed were under the age of 20 years old. It was a scary time.

U.S. Soldier - Vietnam War (1955-1975)
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On the homefront during the 60's and on into the 70's, in addition to daily news coverage of the war, we had civil unrest on every front...war protesters, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Black Power, race riots, black against white, white against black, police and members of the National Guard swarming our streets with guns and teargas in attempt to keep the peace. It was a scary time.

Race Riots in Kansas City, Missouri - 1968
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Then there were the hippies, Hare Krishna, Helter Skelter, Charles Manson, the Age of Aquarius, the Jesus Freaks, the Moonies, and the list goes on and on. It was a scary time. A very scary time. A time of insanity. 

I grew up in fear. In fear of everything...literally! 

In addition to the daily 24-hour-a-day fear of the effects of war and civil unrest, there was unrest in the extended family and that often ended up being brought to our doorstep and spilling over into my world. My mom and dad always put an end to it, but, it sure got scary when they were dealing with drunken relatives and the myriad of colorful behavior that accompanied them...crying, cursing, brawls in the middle of the livingroom floor, threats made with a drawn switchblade knife, and the windshield of my aunt's car being busted out by the kicking cowboy boots of the drunk that was sitting on top of her car. It was a scary time.

Then, there was the fear of every other possible thing...heights, water, dreams, ghosts, demons, the end of the world...you name it and I was afraid of it. I lived in constant fear. But, at the time, I didn't know that there was any other way to live. I had lived with fear, day-in and day-out my entire life. Sadly, fear was my closest companion and I lived with it well into my 30's...maybe even into my early 40's. BUT, at some point in there (late 90's...early 2000's), I came to the realization of the truth...fear only has as much power as I give it! 

I met Jesus at the alter of an old, country church when I was 7-years-old and I clung to Him daily during the worst times of my life...even when I wasn't living (didn't know the first thing about how to live) for Him at all. In the worst and most frightening times of my life, I slept with my Bible under my pillow and drew upon scriptures that I had memorized as a child. That's all I knew to do and, at the time, God met me where I was, and I was comforted.

In later years...after learning from teachers and preachers that point you to the Word of God instead of their own opinions or church doctrine, I learned to actually open a Bible and read it for myself. As I began to grow, I learned that fear is the opposite of faith.

What was I putting my faith in? Was I putting it in God, His Word, and the finished work of Jesus on the cross? Or was I putting my faith in the things that I feared and their ability to harm, hurt, undo, or destroy me? I had some soul-searching to do!!!

At first it was hard. I wanted to believe...but...and you can fill in the blank here with any and every excuse known to man, because I used them all! 

The truth of it is, though my battles are fewer, fought less often, and with much less intensity than in the past, fear produced from past experiences and fear of the unknown are still some of the biggest battles I struggle with on a daily basis. What I choose to do with those fears are up to me and I choose not to make excuses for them anymore. Fear is fear and I have authority over it. The question is...will I take it?

Today, I know that the weapons of my warfare are not carnal and that I don't have to put up with fear. It only has as much room to work in as I allow it, so, as soon as fear starts creeping around, I draw my Sword and give no quarter to the enemy.

So...what about COVID-19?

When I first started hearing the reports about COVID-19 I just blew them off. I figured that the media was making a big deal out of nothing and that it would blow over and fizzle out before it even got started. Whatever happened with it, it probably would never effect us here in the Midwest. Pray for those effected and go on. (Maybe not the best attitude to have, but it's the one that I had.)

As the reports of COVID-19 and the effects it was having around the world and, now, the U.S. started to increase my ears began to perk up a bit. When a call came from the nursing home on Tuesday, restricting our visits to Pat, the reports got my full attention. What on earth was happening???

By Thursday store shelves were completely emptied of things like flour, bread, hand sanitizer, disinfectant sprays, and toilet paper, and I was told at work that we were to increase our cleaning and disinfecting efforts; as of yesterday afternoon all of our upcoming programs were to be cancelled immediately through April 30th (hikes, homeschool, public school, library, nature bingo, everything), and all items on display that could not easily be wiped and disinfected were removed and packed away. At 3:00 Friday afternoon President Trump declared a national emergency and at 5:00 Missouri Governor Parsons declared a state emergency. At present there are four known cases of COVID-19 in our state. It's a scary time.

Does that mean that we give way to fear and panic? NO!!!

Now is the time to pull in, draw close to God, stay in His Holy Word, and stand in faith against all that is contrary to the promises found therein.

COVID-19 is real. There are people that have it. Sadly, there are people dying from the complications of it right now; some have died already. There are grieving families and people that are scared. For some, this will not make sense, I know...but, the truth is...Jesus has already paid for it with His blood. 

Now is not the time to give in to fear or panic; now is the time to rise up in spirit, stand on Truth, and prioritize! What's the most important thing in your life to you?

The bottom line is...what you do with Jesus...whether you choose to accept or reject Him...is the most important decision that you will ever make. To accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior leads to eternal life; to reject Him leads to eternal damnation in Hell. (If you've not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and would like to find out more click HERE.)

Once you've accepted Jesus into your heart and made Him the Lord of your life, then it's time to get into His Word. Read it, listen to it being read on CD, keep it in your eyes, keep it in your ears, get it out of your head and down into your heart, memorize it, and stand on it! Pray before your read and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your reading and invite the Living Word of God to permeate your entire being. Then...live it!

In these scary times that we find ourselves today, there are only two choices available by which to live...

# 1 - You can choose to stand firmly on God's Word, its promises, and in faith based entirely on the finished work of Jesus at the cross.

# 2- Or you can give way to the enemy and live in fear.

Which will you choose?

Here is something for you to stand on in these troubled times...

Psalm 91 King James Version (KJV)

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

 

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Lost in the Loneliness

Just yesterday my dad, once again, expressed how lonely he feels. 

"No one calls, no one comes around. All I have left are my memories," he said. 

Then, he proceeded to tell me the story of a neighbor that lived a mile down the road from where my grandparents did when my dad was a boy. The neighbor was ill for a time and, for several weeks, three times a day, my grandmother would prepare a meal for the neighbor, and send my dad to deliver it. 

"Three times a day," he said, "I'd run that mile to take 'Uncle Kit' a meal...a plate of eggs and a sausage cake for breakfast, a pint of soup with a piece of bread for lunch, then whatever Mom made us for supper...three times a day...and I never thought a thing about it. That's just what folks did. Now days...they won't walk across the street to say 'hello' to you or ask you how you're feeling. They don't care."

That's how he feels about it and, sadly, in the experience he's had since my mother passed away nearly a decade ago, he's pretty much right. 

"You know," he said, "I heard on the news the other night that more old people die of loneliness than anything else."

"And I believe it," he added.

"I know, Dad," I said. "I wish there was something that I could do about it, but there just isn't. It's a heart issue and caring about others has to come from within."

Something is terribly wrong in our world today, While I do feel that elderly people often feel the effects of loneliness most often...especially after their children are grown and gone, and they lose a spouse...because they do have so many memories and no one left to share them with...but, it seems that people everywhere now days feel lonely. Even those who are in contact with tons of people on a daily basis say they feel lonely...and they do. Loneliness is epidemic.

This morning, before I even got out of bed, (I was reading it on my Ipod), I read an article by Erin over at The Humbled Homemaker entitled "When Your Online Community Is Crowded And Your Real-Life Community Is Lacking" and guess what she was talking about? Loneliness. 

It was an excellent article (please read it) and two things struck me...

# 1- Even though I already knew it, and have already stated so once, the article reaffirmed to me, that, yes, loneliness truly is epidemic. People everywhere, whether they are alone, or not, are feeling lonely inside and those feelings are real. 

# 2 - For the past few years I've felt like I was behind...lacking...like I was less-than, because I'm not where I used to be in ministry. I mean, I want nothing more than to minister to hurting women, but I'm thinking that ministering to them face-to-face, one-on-one, if need be, might be right where God wants me to be at this season in my life

You see, there was a day when I, like Erin, and many other women that I follow online, love, greatly admire, and respect, had a fairly large online community. This was back in the days before Blogspot and Facebook. This was way back there in the days of Yahoo Clubs and Groups. (Anyone remember those?) I was also writing for several Christian women's magazines back then. (The kinds that were made of paper and arrived in your mailbox on a regular schedule.) :)

It was in 1998 when I was asked, by the founder of the Proverbs 31 Woman Yahoo Club, to take over the 1000+ member community...which I did. I loved the Proverbs 31 Woman! I wanted nothing more than to, over my lifetime, become a living example of her, and it was truly an honor to be asked to head up such a community...and,by the way, I met many beautiful women of God there...many of which are still close friends today (some off-line, as well as some that are on-line, but have never met...yet), but, in the midst of all that, it didn't take me long at all to find out that many within the walls of that community were not there for the same reason that I, and some of the other ladies' were. 

In no time at all I was spending up to 12 hours a day putting out brush fires, and battling all sorts of weird things. Stuff, that, in reality, had nothing to with the Lord's work at all. I mean, it started out looking like it did. I would think that I was helping someone, but in the end, it would turn out to be some set-up thing created to cause strife and negativity within the group, or to just flat keep us from focusing on the purpose for which we were assembled...and it would wear me down to the point I couldn't even function. Eventually, I learned the truth. Most of the brush fires that I was fighting were being started by members of a witches coven that had joined the group to purposefully stir up trouble from within.

    

In 2002, the group was transferred to Yahoo Groups and became private. The private group, Proverbs 31 Woman (2), was for women only and was based on the teaching found in Proverbs 31:10-31. It was created for the sole purpose of offering Christ-centered encouragement and accountability to those that were seriously seeking to fulfill the unique role that God created for us as women. We had a great base of women and the community operated successfully in that forum until I, lured away by relationships and emotion, allowed people into the group that were only there for self-seeking purposes, rather than to grow in the foundations of Biblical principles. (Silly me! I honestly believed, at that time, that every woman who expressed an interest in the Proverbs 31 Woman and growing in Biblical womanhood was serious.)

Technically, the Proverbs 31 Woman (2) is still in existence today. It's there. It's members are few, but no one ever visits. Like everyone, and everything else, it sits there, lost in the loneliness of countless online communities...communities filled with people who chat and communicate over electronic devices the world round, but, in reality, can never connect in a real life, flesh and blood way...unless...they go out of their way to do so...which some of the ladies' out of that original Proverbs 31 Woman community have done in the past, and oh! What blessed memories we share!

Now, I suppose that a lot of what I've written here sounds cynical, but I honestly don't mean for it to. I'm just sharing my thoughts and a bit of my online and real-life story. 

The point I'm trying to make is that there is something wrong in our world today when we, as a people, are inundated with communication of every kind and in touch with people from all over the world in a moments notice, yet, everywhere around us, real-life people...people in our own lives...people within our own real-life communities, our friends, our neighbors, people within our own families...are being crushed under the weight of loneliness and no one seems to care.

Do we care? Do you care? Do I really?

Forget the formulas and programs! What can we do within our own real-life sphere of influence to make a change in someone else's life today? 

(And, please, when I say 'real-life'...no one has better on-line friends that they've never met than I do...and, yes, they're real, but they're not right here...they're not next door...they're not living and breathing within a stone's throw away...you know what I'm saying...don't you?)   

Loneliness is a very real problem in our world today. Think of something that you can do to help lighten the burden of a lonely person near you...

- take them a meal...

- take them a plate of cookies...

- stop by and spend a few minutes visiting with them...

- stop in and just ask them how they're feeling today...

...do something...anything...to let them know that somebody is thinking of them and that people still care.

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in, Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." ~Matthew 25:35-40

Until Next Time...

~Rebecca

The Loss Of A Child

This has been a very sad holiday season for us. The husband of a dear friend was killed in a car accident earlier in the month and his funeral...the most beautiful, everything-pointed-to-our-Lord-and-Saviour-Jesus-Christ-funeral I've ever  been to...was held yesterday. Though my heart aches terribly for all of his family...especially the dearly loved, beautiful, young wife that he left behind...it was Tim's mother that held my attention yesterday. Tim was her son. And it is Christmas-time. And she hurts. And...even though I only held my son for a short time...and she held hers for 36 years...I know that pain. The pain of a mother that has lost a son. My heart goes out to her. To all the family on both sides. But today...especially to that mother that has lost her son.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the loss of my own son, Nathan. It is his birthday and his death day. I wrote this post last year and am reposting it today in his memory. It is dedicated to all mother's who have lost a child, but...this year...especially to my beloved Mrs. S.

Mrs. S...although you may never see this post...this piece is dedicated to you this year...and in the memory of your precious son, Timothy Andrew (by the way...your boy and my boy shared the same middle name). Tim, just as with my own precious son that is no longer with us, you are much loved and will be greatly missed, but one glorious day we WILL see you again! Until then...as your father said yesterday...it is bye-bye for now.

Now...for last year's post...

It was exactly 29 years ago at this very time that Nathan Andrew was born. Something had been wrong for a very long time. I had been bleeding off and on since my second month of pregnancy...at times very heavily.

On the 18th of December I was out Christmas shopping with my mother, my aunt, my 1 1/2-year-old daughter, and my three little cousins. All of a sudden I went into labor. My aunt took my daughter home with her and her children, and my mother rushed me to the hospital. Next thing I knew I was being strapped to a gurney and was being shipped by ambulance to a bigger hospital...one that was attached by a walkway to Children's Mercy in Kansas City. Even though I had been given a lot of medication and was pretty much out of it, I could hear the doctors and nurses talking. If they didn't get me to the other, better equipped hospital soon, they were going to lose me AND the baby. It was one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had. All I could think about was what would happen to my little daughter at home if I died.

I arrived at the other hospital in record time and was immediately surrounded by all sorts of doctors and nurses. I was plugged into every kind of equipment they had...which wasn't nearly as good as the equipment that they have now, but, at the time, it was state-of-the-art. Immediately, the head doctor wanted to know who my doctor was and how long I had been bleeding. She said that the placenta had torn away from the uterus wall and that this baby should have been "taken" months ago. What was she talking about? I would never have allowed my baby to be "taken!"

Long story short...27 hours of intense labor later (I had been given every kind of pain medicine available and nothing seemed to be helping) Nathan Andrew was born...in the hallway on the way to delivery. He was immediately rushed across the walkway to Children's Mercy and I was taken on into delivery where a DNC was performed. A few hours later the doctor came into my room with a nurse who was carrying my baby. Nathan had fought hard and lived for two hours, but his lungs were just too little. Now days they probably could have saved him, but, back then...there was nothing they could do. There was just nothing that they could do. :'(

Nathan was perfectly formed. He had long, black hair, had perfectly formed features, perfect, tiny, little fingers and fingernails...toes and toenails...on the outside he was just that...perfect! Tiny, yes (he was 10 inches long and he only weighed a pound)! But still...perfect.

Not having money for a funeral left me with few choices. I would not be allowed to leave the hospital without signing papers for Nathan's body to, either, be donated to scientific research, or be cremated in the hospital crematory. Not wanting to do either I chose the lesser of the two evils...the hospital crematory. To this day I regret that, but I don't know what else I could have done under the circumstances. It still hurts me beyond anything that I could ever express and there's never been anywhere to mourn Nathan's loss. I came home on Christmas Eve with two very blurry pictures, a set of tiny footprints on a piece of paper, and a poem that the hospital chaplain had given me.

I've never written about all this before, but, tonight, I felt a need to do so. Perhaps there is someone else out there who has been through a similar experience...someone who needs a word of encouragement. Even though all that I went through was, and still is, very sad...there are two things that have ministered to me over the years since Nathan's death...

#1 - The poem that the chaplain shared with me. It was entitled FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, and I had never read it until the night that she gave it to me there in the hospital. It is still very special to me.

#2 - There's a verse of scripture that the Lord gave to me many, many years later, and it is still the verse that comes to mind whenever I think of Nathan. The verse is found in Psalm 30...verse 5...and it says, "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." I know beyond the shadow of any doubt that Nathan is with Jesus and that someday I will see him again! Not as a premature baby, but as the spirit man that God created him to be!

And, if you've suffered the loss of a child...whether it be at birth or beyond...know that, if you are a born-again, Bible-believing, follower of Christ, and child of God, then you, too, will see that child again and be reunited with them in days to come!

And as you remember that trial that you've gone through...perhaps you're asking (or have asked), "Why God? Where were You when I was going through all that? Why weren't you there for me?" I leave you now with that beautiful poem that was shared with me by that wonderful, old chaplain at Children's Mercy...

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

The Valley Of Baca

I have shared this post before, but felt impressed to share it again...

This story is for anyone who is experiencing trouble in their life right now...

Psalm 84:5 and 6 says, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools."

Baca means "weeping." There is a massive valley in northern Israel on the direct route south to Jerusalem. In Bible days, the valley was heavy with mulberry trees. Pilgrims who came down from the north country for the Passover feasts had to pass through the valley. The pilgrims would stop to rest in the heat of the day and would often spend the night there and sleep beneath those same mulberry trees for refuge in case it would rain. 

You see, the mulberry tree, whenever one of its twigs or leaves is wounded by man or wind, exudes from the wound drops of thick saplike tears on the underside. Thus, the valley once dense with mulberry trees became known  as the valley of Baca...the valley of weeping. 

Isn't that a beautiful picture? A hidden treasure from God's Word!

Now, the valley of Baca in Psalms 84:6 can also be used in a figurative way. It presents an image of human life in this world...our troubles and sorrows. All believers go through the valley of Baca on their journey toward heaven. 

But in order to have a valley there must be mountains on both sides. Christians will have their mountaintop experiences while passing through this world, but at times they will find themselves loaded with heartaches, trials, troubles, and burdens that will take them down into the valley of Baca where they will shed tears of sorrow and grief. 

But, remember the part of that verse that says, "...Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well...?" The Lord is saying that His children won't stay in the valley. They will get through the valley. And beyond the valley lies another mountaintop.

(Originally written and posted on the Proverbs 31 Woman 2 (Yahoo Group) March 3, 2002)