December 03, 2020
Dear Calvary
Damon and I are so grateful for your outpouring of love and concern over the past few weeks. It is one thing to read about COVID-19 and see all the statistics on the news; it is another thing to have a loved one in your home ill with the coronavirus. It is a reality some of you know very well. We continue to pray for those of you with loved ones ill with COVID-19 and those of you who are grieving the loss of loved ones due to this virus. We feel very fortunate that Damon’s case was mild to moderate in symptoms. Damon was cleared by his doctor to leave quarantine yesterday (Dec. 3), and I will be clear to leave quarantine on Monday (Dec. 7).
Throughout this ordeal, there have been several times where we have been waiting. Waiting for the thermometer to beep to check temperature. Waiting for the oximeter to light up to read oxygen levels. Waiting for telehealth appointments with doctors to see how this diagnosis affected medications and other health conditions. Waiting behind long lines of cars to get the nasal swab COVID test and to have blood drawn. Waiting for COVID test results to come through on email. (Then repeating that process again and again.) Waiting for PowerDirector to process videos for the worship services (our internet is way slower than Calvary’s!) Waiting for groceries to be put in our trunk outside of Safeway only to be told only a third of our order was ready. Going home. Waiting for Safeway to call to get the rest of the order. Waiting for the Safeway Manager to get items that they forgot from the order. Waiting to buy a Christmas tree until we were cleared to leave quarantine. Waiting to feel more energized and for the fatigue to pass and the headache to dissipate.
Lots of waiting. I resonated with Brenda Goodman’s Word for God’s Children last week, when she read the pages from Dr. Seuss’ book Oh, The Places You’ll Go! about the waiting place. So much of our lives is waiting. And often we feel like we need to “know something” in order to know “what to do next.” And there are plenty of things in life that are like that. We need to know a diagnosis before we can know what the treatment plan is. We need to know if we got into the school before we can start packing and planning for college. We need to know what veggies look fresh at the store before we can plan what will go in our stir fry. But there are other things in life where we can move forward even as we are waiting. As we wait for one thing, not all in our life has to come to a standstill.
As we long for the Christ Child to be born in our lives anew this Advent/Christmas season – I wonder if in whatever period of waiting you find yourself in, if you can also see areas in your life where you can keep moving? Just as Mary and Joseph moved forward and traveled on the donkey to Bethlehem for the census, waiting for Jesus to be born, not knowing where they would stay or what “inn” would have room – as you wait for something in your life, is there a way you can continue to move and act even while you wait?
Even as Damon and I did a lot of waiting the last few weeks for results and tests related to COVID, there were other parts of our life where we moved forward. We got our Christmas card done, ordered some gifts for family, and decorated the house with the decorations we had in the attic. We cooked meals with the items we had in the pantry. We spent time with the gifts we already had in our midst – each other.
What are you waiting for in life? And how is God moving you on this day – even in that waiting?
With you on the journey,
~Pastor Anne