Covid-19, “the China virus,” has been the disease that has moved the world in directions no one desired to go; it is to the point that we hear the daily count of those who have this disease and the number who have died each day from it; thus, we have no desire to leave our houses and get out in the public. This is true “world” wide and individually at the same time.
It has “hit” our own lives. It used to be those who wore mask robbed banks, the ‘bad guys were behind the mask, but this is not true now! We all have masks on when going out! The mask has us questioning ourselves, are we going to “catch” the “deadly” virus and there is “fear” in our eyes, all of us? We older folks have a greater “fear” simply because we are older; then, we older people may have body elements which put us at higher risk yet; thus, we have a greater reason for staying home. With this staying home, we are forced to stay away for our fellows. This has its own social “illnesses!” that hits many of us!
We must not over-look our children! Our child needs the “social” activities that can only come with others their own age. As a “personal” opinion, children need other children, children need to interact with those their own age; they need to play games with those their own age; and they need to talk with those their own age; thus, children need children as they grow up and “tackle” problems that come from being with others their own age. This is another reason for the family! Paul wrote: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:1- 4). God did not forget the family and the responsibilities of “children” nor “fathers!” While writing on this subject, allow me to put in a few words about the family! There is a “war” going on against the family as designed by God: father, mother, and offspring! Please note this: the number of live births to unmarried women hit 1,503,361.” And let us go on; “Fewer than half (46%) of America’s. kids younger than 18 years of age are living in a home with two married heterosexual parents in their first marriage. “This is a marked change from 1960s, when 73% of children fit this description, …”
Yes, we may have gone in “circles” but the “Covid-19” has truly hit us hard! Nationally, there has been 3,106,932 cases. Then, there has been 132,855 deaths. These numbers are too great for “me” to get my mind around! Nevertheless, let us get closer home; in the state of Oklahoma, there have been 19,092 confirmed cases and 416 deaths. These are not just numbers but grandfathers and grandmothers, and fathers and mothers. Sometimes it is hard to look at the world we live in! Yes, we are all wearing our mask and we are not bank robbers, but many are denied their lives!
Yet, Christians have much to count when looking at our blessings! Look around you, you can see blessings! Just this morning (July 10th) the sun came “up” and not much later we got a rain that will nourish the earth, cause things to grow, this also means that we will have to continue to mow our yards but we like the green grass and the flowers that are blooming “Count your blessings!” The sun and the rain tells us that we will have more food growing in the sunshine and with the rain.
Of course, our “spiritual blessings” mean more to us, who are Christians! By “spiritual blessings” I refer to these things that are “spiritual.” There is our salvation at the top of the list; this is followed by the fact that God is our father and at his righthand is our high-priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, and here I love to recall the words of the apostle Paul: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Just knowing this allows us to smile when others have no just such reasons!” (Heb. 4:15).
Covid-19 or not, our God does not change, our Lord does not change, our salvation need not change, this depending on our faithfulness, our high priest does not change, but we should be changing daily as we grow “nearer to the heart of God!”
Frank R. Williams