Hope in the Midst of Fear

Ugh! What’s to like about having to stand in a line outside Trader Joe’s for 30 minutes before being allowed entry to fill my shopping cart with apocalyptic survival snacks (well, actually food)? Let me count the ways that COVID-19 has altered my life.

No more trips to the airport (I used to fly once or twice a month for my work).
No more eating out in restaurants.
Forget mindless trips to the store (now every trip is well thought out).
When I get home, everything has to be wiped before I can put it away.
No more going to church (physically).
When I pump gas at the station I use a wet wipe to grasp the pump handle.
I wash my hands more.
From time to time I check our TP supply (which I never did before).

I could go on, but I’ll spare you, because you’re probably doing the same thing, unless you are one of those who believes COVID-19 is just a hoax. Tell that to the 39 year-old woman in New Orleans who was perfectly healthy until her run-in with Corona. A few days later she died on her kitchen floor. Alone. She went through a lot to try and get tested and was finally tested, but hadn’t gotten the results yet. Contrast that with people in South Korea who have been able to do drive thru testing and have the results, originally in three days, but now in 10 minutes.

Finding Hope

In the midst of all the fear and unrest, there is hope. Each day I take early walks (before the sun comes up). Often I wear my head lamp as I walk in the dark along the ridge we live on. To the east I see the Sierra Nevada Mountains (when it’s light), and to the west the skyline of Sacramento, California. When it’s dark the stars are glorious and I can watch the gradual sunrise over the snow peaked mountains that hide Lake Tahoe, all of which give me a heart full of praise to God! The prayers from my mornings walks are written in the pavement along Woodleigh Lane, and I’ve come to believe that whatever the day holds, I won’t face it in fear or alone.

I know this for sure, the life we had a few weeks ago is never coming back. At least not exactly as we knew it. So much has changed, including the simple perspectives many of us had about our routines and plans. Who knew that everything could be upended so quickly?

It really is true that we only have today! So let’s make it count by spreading as much joy as we possibly can, even in the midst of fear and pain.

Rich DuBose writes from Northern California.

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