This You Can Do

"When people are serving, life is no longer meaningless."

John W. Gardner

Lambing time. I was excited to visit my first sheep farm in 2016.

All of us are in the middle of the COVID-19 concern, watching the news, following Facebook and checking out YouTube for the latest developments. And rightly so. My generation has never seen anything like this before. The only thing I remember is rationing of gas in the early 70s.

There are many of us who have been staying home and only going out for emergencies to the grocery store or drug store. If you're not a homebody like me, I'm sure you're getting a little frantic about staying home.

Many of you are essential to health care, police, firemen, food employees and others who need to be at work, fighting on the front lines of life. They wish they could be home and not exposed to this virus at every turn.

You can do something. People need to be encouraged and inspired. People need to have hope that this will end and most things will get back to normal. People need to help if they can.

Pick up that phone. Call your friends. Call the people you see often and check up on them. A short phone call between friends and acquaintances will calm you and help you think of others.

Send a card. Write a note. A plain piece of paper will even do. Touch the heart of someone by remembering them and writing a few words to calm them.

Order a lunch and dinners from your favorite restaurant. They need your business and the pick-me-up you'll receive from helping a business and eating a favorite meal will help settle you.

Fix a meal and take it to someone who lives alone, someone who is elderly, someone who can't get out. If they are in need, can you provide what they need?

Sew face masks. There are videos online that provide all the direction you need, and you will be helping the cause by directly helping someone who works with others or has the virus.

There will be many young families that will be in need if the parents are not able to work and no money is coming in. Is there a way you can help?

"If you look around, there are always opportunities to help people who are having a hard time, even if they haven't asked for help. Sometimes they are so involved with their problems or their heartache they don't think to ask anyone for help. Sometimes they don't know you have the ability to help them, so they don't ask you specifically." Randy Petersen and Robin Shreeves

Most of all, pray. God knows. God knows what is happening. He knows how it started, who is sick and how long this is going to tarry. Pray for the health care providers. Pray for the ambulance personnel. Pray for the police. Pray for the business that are closed. Pray. Pray. Pray.

We are in the middle of an epidemic. Hopefully the longer we stay home the shorter it will be. Don't just listen to the number of cases there are. Read about the number that have recovered from this virus. Our country is in control.

Be thankful if you are well and only have to wait this out. Be grateful that most of your needs are filled and you are safe in your home. You are blessed and among those who don't know what it's like to have a roof over their heads, food to eat and clothes to wear. You are blessed because you don't have to be out working in the trenches to save lives.

"The soul that has been enriched by communion with God will not be dismayed by isolation but will welcome solitude. He will seek not the crowd but the closet, and emerging will never walk alone,

for he has unseen companionship."

Frances J. Roberts