What’s up Rock Stars!!

My question today is could anybody have predicted this? Have you seen the pretty strange connection between a Dean Koontz book and the virus we are fighting? I agree it’s odd. In his book, The Eyes of Darkness, a character named Dombey narrates a story about a Chinese scientist who brought a biological weapon called “Wuhan-400” to the United States. Yep, he said it–Wuhan. But, did he really predict this virus? Of course not. Kootz is a fiction writer, not a prophet or a fortune teller or a fact writer.  Yes, today’s virus did start in Wuhan, but that is pretty much the end of the similarities. The virus in the book is deadly to all who get it. This virus, today, is not a death sentence for everyone. The virus in the book had a four hour incubation time, where today’s virus can be up to two weeks. Also, in the original, first printing, in 1981, the virus was called “Goki-400” in reference to a Russian locality. It was changed in 1989 to Wuhan. Koontz simply wrote a book with a scenario that included the name of the city that is the name of the city that is believed to be the root of Covid-19. Strange for sure, but not a prediction. Could anyone have predicted this? 

Mayor Cuomo just said it’s been 37 days. 37 days. We can either say, “It’s “only” been 37 days. We’re got this!” or we can say, “Ugh! It’s been 37 days. This is terrible!” My daddy loved Zig Ziglar and I grew to love him too. One of my favorite quotes by Ziglar is, “It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you.” Well, what is happening now is a challenge. So, how are you handling it? How am I handling it? Ziglar is so right. Things happen to us. All kinds of things. It’s how we handle those “things” that gives our life meaning and purpose. 

All of us, early on, wondered if self-isolation or social distancing was really necessary. It was something we had never walked through. We had no model for this type of crisis. I wrote earlier about other crises and made comparisons and contrasts, stating we WOULD make it through this one as we did with all the other crises we had lived through, but, self-isolation and social distancing is a new thing. Wars don’t require it. Deaths don’t require it. Weather issue do, but only for a short while. Not being able to see our family or visit a sick friend or attend a funeral or wedding or just hug someone is a new and unprecedented emergency. People are suggesting that this generation will talk about this like our generation talks about polio and the cold war and Viet Nam. Of course, they will. It’s beyond anyone’s imagination. If someone, in January, as the New Year calendar rolled over, told us the whole world would be in a state of lock down due to a virus, we would have said, “Take your temperature because you’re sick.” A world-wide lock down didn’t even seem possible. Yet, here we sit. Literally. All of us. Doing the same thing. How is the whole world handling it? 

Here’s what I see. 

I have a dear friend in Australia, one in England, a few in Canada, some in the Dominican Rep and Haiti—all of them are doing exacting what I am doing. Staying home and staying safe. We’re doing the same thing in that big way, but also in other smaller, but connecting ways.

We’re all cleaning closets and straightening drawers. We’re all learning new cooking skills. Recipes are all over social media. We’re all reading more and listening to podcasts and watching more movies than ever. Suggestions are all over social media. The young folks are making dance videos by the thousands. Maybe we should jump on that train. Okay, maybe not. Homeschool is happening which makes me wonder if parents are seeing things they need to work on with their kids. Maybe better manners and kinder attitudes will come out of this. Hopefully, teachers are being appreciated in ways they haven’t before. Families are out fishing together, throwing a football, playing board games, putting together puzzles. None of us can attend church services so we’re joining in online. What does God think about online church? Interesting, isn’t it? I think He’s proud of His people for figuring it out. Remember that verse that says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”? Well, it’s happening. We’re doing it. With a click, we can see and hear a sermon from anywhere. On some Sundays, I’ve watched three or more sermons. Of course, I’ve missed fellowshipping with my friends at the church building, but I’m so blessed by the efforts of church staff members who work hard to get a “church” service ready for us each week. So many heroes! Right? I love that our friends in Nicaragua and Canada tune in to our service on Sunday. I can see their names pop up. It’s like them walking in the door at our church building. So cool. 

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So, here we sit. “Still” as in we are still in this situation and “still” as in unmoving, not going anywhere and “still” as in silent, quiet, listening for God’s voice to speak above the stillness. We all eagerly wait for the end. It’s been a long time, but we are doing what we now know is working. So, keep cleaning, keep cooking, keep exercising, keep giving grace, keep praying, keep reading, keep walking….don’t give up. This will come to an end and that day will be glorious! We got this!