The Year We Came Together

To my future grandchildren and great grandchildren:
WOW! What a year 2020 was! Before the BIG “C-Virus”, our world was so divided. There were literal wars and political wars beyond belief. So many people were selfish and talked so bad to and about each other. The heroes before the C-virus were the highly paid professional athletes, musicians, recording artists, politicians and movie stars. While in the quarantine of the C-virus, the true heroes became those in the medical field and grocery store shelf stockers and moms and dads teaching their kids at home and those who were near-poverty because their store or business was shut down. Can you even imagine this? Grocery store refrigerators and shelves were empty. We had to stand in line to get toilet paper and paper towels. There were no professional, college or high school sports games played. No March Madness – well, there was madness, but not with basketball. Businesses – big and small were either closed altogether or their employees were working from home. Food establishments stopped indoor dining and only provided drive-thru meals. We quickly ran in and out of grocery stores in a hurry. People even wore gloves and masks. When they got home, they took off the clothes they wore and washed them right away. Our churches were closed. Online worshipping was the norm. “Social distancing” was the main theme. We had to stay away from closeness in public. Online connectedness was the best way to stay close to each other.

But, that C-Virus did something to us and for us. It brought us together as families and friends. Technology helped with that because we couldn’t go to each other’s homes. We were connected by the internet. Thank God for the internet. Thank God for our phones. Thank God for a wise President who led our Country to wholeness again. Now, there’s a vaccine that stops the spread of the virus and a vaccine that we can take to keep us from ever getting it. Once again, we are free to go about our lives and businesses and friendships.

But, that C-Virus did something to us and for us. It brought us together as families and friends. Technology helped with that because we couldn’t go to each other’s homes. We were connected by the internet. Thank God for the internet. Thank God for our phones. Thank God for a wise President who led our Country to wholeness again. Now, there’s a vaccine that stops the spread of the virus and a vaccine that we can take to keep us from ever getting it. Once again, we are free to go about our lives and businesses and friendships.

If there’s anything we learned from it all — it’s we’ll never take a handshake, a hug or a kiss for granted again. (That’s why I can’t help but kiss and hug you so much!) We’ll never take full shelves and refrigerators at the grocery stores for granted. We’ll never take for granted: a crowded theater, going to church, the taste of communion, a routine check-up, the school rush each morning, the stadiums roaring, taking each breath deeply, the reasons for washing our hands many times a day.

And, my precious grandchild and great grandchild, just look at us now. We have so much to be grateful for. Like in the story of Joseph in the Bible — “What the enemy meant for evil, God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20. Well, that’s how we came out of our C-Virus nightmare. God turned all of the chaos into so much beauty because we became more like the people we wanted to be, called to be, hoped to be and just look at us now. We are so much better because of the worst. God brought neighbors back together again. Our family units were restored. We ate together as a family. We slowed down our lives and appreciated what matters most. Most of all, we learned that it is God who changed everything for us. We humbled ourselves, we turned from our wicked ways and we surrendered to His will and His ways. We trusted Him more than our money and our material possessions. We prayed. We cried out to Him and He heard our prayers and He healed our lands and our people. I’m so thankful I went through that experience so that I can tell you that living for Jesus, loving Him with all my heart and trusting Him kept me strong enough to tell you about it.
I love you so, so much, my beloved grands!
Nana