Viruses, Lent and Other Sacrifices

This is Lent, approaching springtime, time to prepare for joy.  The news is full of doom and gloom with virus talk and elections and economic problems.  Take a deep breath and rely on God.  That is the only sensible thing to do.  And wash your hands if you haven't been doing that.  But, Lent, time to take stock.

This virus sounds pretty tricky.  Nobody has any kind of resistance and there is no medicine to treat it.  At least it doesn't effect the young as much as the old.  But, at 66 myself, and with a 98 year old mother and numerous relatives in the danger category the thought that somebody will be taken away is there.  So, I was seeking some basic information.  Why the quarantines?  There does not exist enough treatment facilities to handle the large numbers who would need intensive care if the virus just moved through the population.  People would die because nobody could help them.  So, at very least the exposure needs to be staggered so that some people will either get well or will die before the next person needs the bed.  Hope is there that in a year or so there might be a vaccine or at least something to treat the virus. Stave it off for now.  I was also wondering what the symptoms of this bug are.  From what I have read, not like a head cold, mucous forms in the lungs and fever attacks pretty early on.  The cough feels dry.  Runny nose and sore throat is not a corona virus symptom.  So, wash your hands, don't touch your face and avoid sick people.

I had a relative visit recently who did not follow the family code of being respectful of other people's opinions.  In my family name calling was not allowed.  But, this relative seems to have forgotten that and called me names and derided me for my reasoning.  I can't change him, but I will no longer discuss politics with him or maybe anything we disagree on.  Helpful hints to know and share are--be respectful of the opinions of others even if you think they are wrong.  An opinion is not as important as a person.

As for the economy, who knows?  But, blessed are the poor.  That is something to keep in mind.  We will do the best we can and maybe scale back.  The number of people staying home ought to help the climate change thing.  God works in mysterious ways.

I am trying to check in with God this Lent, to be on the same page, to ask for His will and not my own.  This can be tricky because I seem to hear my own voice louder than I can hear His.  But I am tuning in and trying to ask for His will.  I believe He will help me with this.