And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”
– Mark 4:37-41
And He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?”
Just a quick note tonight about a current event.
COVID-19 (otherwise known as the coronavirus) has officially hit the United States. It’s a nasty flu causing pneumonia-like symptoms, the most common of which are fever, dry cough, and fatigue.
People are going nuts.
Granted, it appears to have a higher mortality rate than the typical flu, and the harshest of the symptoms are ones we as a nation are ill-equipped to handle. I was (reluctantly) discussing the topic earlier with someone who works in a hospital and gets all of the updates for safety reasons. Some of the equipment that has been most necessary to sustain life through the worst of the fight is in short supply (nationwide) relative to the number of people they suspect will show symptoms. Then the question came up:
How do you decide who gets the equipment, who lives and who dies?
The question struck two chords in me. First, for the first time since the outbreak began, I felt panic sear across the back of my skull. Zombie apocalypse? That was the first thing to come to my mind. Second, my companion mentioned that, logically, once the stash is depleted, the equipment should be taken away from patients less likely to survive if new patients come in. I was morally outraged. And yet, even my repugnance was overshadowed by this fear.
It’s not the first day of worry; I was texting with a friend the other day when I was in the airport about the concerns around travel. There are horror stories coming out of China, and hand sanitizer has been sold out for a week in my area. (I went to pick it up for an event last weekend and several people laughed aloud because it’d been sold out for days already.) However, the reality that hospitals are planning to ration care and equipment based on factors such as age struck hard enough to jolt a frightened reaction from me.
For the rest of the conversation and at least an hour afterward, I was shaking from nerves; as I tried to blow off steam, I found myself distracted with thoughts of doctors ripping equipment away from my grandmother to give to me. Absolutely not. It was such a haunting thought.
But then, hearkening back to the airport conversation, I realized: I have nothing to fear because the Lord is with me always. Always. It may not be easy, it may not be fun, but God will take me in His time, regardless of whatever the world may throw a me. Jesus will only allow my family and friends to suffer if the suffering itself is for His glory, and He will be with me through everything.
So take steps, but also take heart. Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer frequently. Minimize physical contact. Be your best hygienic self to help prevent the spread of this thing, but do not panic. We are called to be good stewards, so take care of yourself and others by following precautions; we are also called to trust God and to find peace in knowing that He loves you.
We are children of the Living God. Know that He loves you and protects you, and use the tools He provided you to stay in good shape. Take a breath. In… Out…
Peace of the Lord be with you always.
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