july 2ns… a visit

July 2, 2020,

Good afternoon,

" I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? "  2 Corinthians 6:27-29

As a Christian , I have not had a difficult life like Paul. His list of sufferings is long, and mine is short.

Sometimes, it seems Covid is out there, and not near my life at all. I can stay at home, and go to the church, and see only a few people. I have started some social distancing visitation, and it has gone well. I know Covid  is scary and extremely contagious, but I almost know no one who has had it, or who has died. I am privileged.

I have talked to some nurses about it. It has been stressful for all medical staff. The USA had 50,000 new cases yesterday. That seems like only a number, but it seems to be totally out of control there. 130,000 people have now died in America. But, that is next door.

We went to Toronto yesterday to have lunch, on a patio restaurant,  with my brother. We walked around downtown Toronto, and although many people wore masks, life seemed normal. We did not go to the downtown hospitals to see what things are like there. The restaurant waiters wore face shields and wanted us to use our phones to order the food. Some other staff wore masks. It still felt I was distanced from the enemy known as the coronavirus. I know it is a pandemic ( I listen to too much CNN),  but I have not seen it yet.

I went to Stratford Hospital this morning. By text, someone had asked me to come and visit them. The chaplain called me at home to make sure that I had got the message to come and visit. I arrived around 9:30, with my mask. In the lobby is a corkboard with an enormous amount of information on Covid. I was met by a nurse with a face shield and mask, and an ipad. She had to check with the chaplain to make sure it was okay for me to visit. Then she asked me three questions, and gave me a new mask, and gave me a paper bag for my own mask. Then, I went upstairs to the third floor to visit, stopping at the elevator to wash my hands with sanitizer, for the third time in a minute.. At the nurses station it seemed to be shift change with at least 15 medical personnel around the station. All with masks, but not shields. Opposite the nursing station was the poster, " Smile Often  Stay Humble  Work Hard  Be Kind "  I visited with the patient for 20 minutes and left, and then thanked the nursing station. COVID is coming closer to me

Prayer

God, you are in every hospital

loving and caring for the staff

doctors, nurses, admin and custodians

God, you are with each patient

and their families and their friends,

and in the tears and sadness.

God you are with every researcher

vaccine people, medicine inventors,

trying to find a way out of this tsunami of a disease.

God you are in everything in this world

Bring healing, bring miracles, bring hope.    AMEN !

Fred

Tread on bold new paths !

Fireflies flash the direction

Hope springs eternal           Monica Pieper Landoni 2020

Fred Redekop

Pastor

Poole Mennonite Church