pandemic

August 5, 2020

Good afternoon,

" But we have to accept that we aren't anywhere near the end of the pandemic. Until the vaccine arrives and unless SARS CoV-2 mutates into a more benign virus, we must think of small careful adjustments as we emerge tentatively from the lockdown and settle into the next phase… ' You can't reason with a virus to go away. ' . So for now, and maybe for the next year too, we should take our cues from the virus itself. We are going to have to be patient ."

                                         from the Walrus Magazine ( July /August 2020 issue),  Daniel Groen

" Love is patient… " I Corinthians 13:4 and  " The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love,."    Psalm 145:8

I want the pandemic to be over. I want a vaccine yesterday. I want to visit my grandsons, and my whole family for that matter. I want people to stop dying from the Virus. When pain and suffering and unknowns are present, I want them to be solved quickly. I am usually patient, often overly patient, but I want this pandemic to stop.

One of the items that people invite to pray for in their lives is patience. We know that we have different levels of patience in our lives. Sometimes I cannot even wait for the coffee maker to finish before I take the first cup. Some people with chronic health concerns have the most patience I have ever seen. They seem to know that the situation cannot be changed, so they have to change their minds and souls to be able to live with it in hope. What kind of patience would you pray about today ?

And it is amazing that the whole world is going through the pandemic. We were in Ottawa on the weekend, and no one is exempt from thinking about it and living with it. When I am driving I do not think about it, but when you stop, you have to think about your mask. They do contact tracing at Tim Hortons ! They ask you questions almost wherever you go and buy anything. There are signs about Covid everywhere ! In Ottawa, they had neon signs along the highway saying, " If you think you have Covid, get tested .' I would need to be tested every other day . Ha ha !

How to pray today ?

Prayer

Dear God, Holy One of Heaven and Earth.

You already know that I need more and more

Patience, Patience and Patience.

Invite me to slow down, and watch for your

Spirit leading me to a more patient lifestyle

of waiting, in hope. In grace. In salvation.

Bring us out of the pandemic,

The whole world needs it.      Amen

Shalom and strength in our life and faith together.

Fred

Tread on bold new paths !

Fireflies flash the direction

Hope springs eternal           Monica Pieper Landoni 2020

Fred Redekop

Pastor

Poole Mennonite Church