My grandsons have asked, “Grandma are you afraid of
this virus? Does this scare you?”
I answer honestly knowing that’s what they want to
hear but also knowing that I don’t want them to live in fear.
“I am not afraid. I try to be cautious. I don’t live
worrying or in fear. I hope I don’t get this virus, I am taking precautions,
and that is all I can do.”
I then look at them and ask, “Are you afraid?”
They tell me they are not. They now realize it is
serious. They still feel the inconvenience of not having the freedom to come
and go and have friends in and out of their house. They miss the social life
with friends, as do even the adults.
Finding it hard to believe in some ways, yet totally
understanding in other ways, they tell me they miss school. The twins will
graduate this year and feel they are missing out on the last part of their
education, full of fun events and important ceremonies. We don’t know yet if
they will return to school even for a couple of weeks. We have no definite idea
if there will be a graduation ceremony and if so, when it might happen. More
than likely they will not have a Senior prom to attend. My youngest grandson won't get to play baseball for the high school this most likely.
I have to admit that when this first started I felt it
was a news media prop. I felt like the newscasters were trying to put fear in
us as they do with every other “Breaking Story” that often ends up being minor.
I know they have to grab our attention to get and keep their ratings but I had come
to the point of not even watching the news because they hyped the stories up
bigger than needed. Fear sells in the news.
I remember telling a neighbor that I thought this was out
of proportion. Lots of people die from the flu every year so why is this getting so much attention. We don’t hear the reports of how many died from the flu. I told her I didn’t care if I ever heard the word Coronavirus
again!
Well that was a few weeks ago. I now find myself
watching the news nearly every day. Our Governor, Mike DeWine, has been doing a
daily broadcast to keep us up to date on what is happening in Ohio. I appreciate
that.
President Trump has been giving updated reports often.
I find myself watching, listening, and digesting.
Yet fear is not the word I feel. The news media hyped
up their nightly broadcast about the fear we are experiencing over this virus
in America and how it is affecting our lives.
Yes, it has affected my life and every American’s life
as well as all over the world. There are people living in fear. Fear of getting
the virus, fear that their loved one who has the virus may not make it. There
are millions of people who live in fear of how they will survive financially
without a job to earn wages to pay bills and feed their families. I feel for all of those people. I understand their
fear.
I am unusually lucky because I no longer have to work. I am retired with a "fixed income." I can still pay my bills and
buy groceries. 💰
Yet I don’t feel fear. First of all, I have a strong
faith in God, who has always taken care of me. We have gone through many hard
times with loss of jobs, illness, etc., but He has always brought us through. I feel
incredibly blessed in so many ways in my entire life. I know that those
blessings have come from God, my Protector.
I ask for His help often, His
guidance, advice and safekeeping. I pray for our country and the world over
that this virus goes away, knowing that God is in control of it.
I also hope that we all come out of this terrible
situation as better people, stronger families, and more reliant on God in all
things. He controls things and blesses us if we accept His blessings and ask
for them.
Come on people, pray to God and ask for healing. Ask
for forgiveness. Ask for protection.
Then believe He will deliver it! Give Him the praise
for it.
