Day 3...and Week 2

Week 2 for COVID-19 around here. We started hearing about it just before we returned from our trip to Israel, but it did not concern me yet. By the beginning of March, there was talk of possible cases in Ohio, and three were confirmed in Cuyahoga County on March 9th. This is where it started to feel real to me.

Colleges started to close the next day, and other businesses considered closing. On March 12, the governor announced an order to close or cancel events and activities for more than 100 people, and churches started closing, planning online services only. By Sunday afternoon, March 15, restaurant dining rooms were ordered closed, the "safe" meeting size dropped from 100 to 10, and my knitting group decided to meet virtually. Last night, at the 11th hour, the polls closed for health emergency, and Primary Elections were postponed. 

I have always heard that the only thing we can really count on in this life is change, and if that were the case, I would say that the impact of this new COVID-19 virus would be making an excellent case for that point all over the world. But there is something more constant than change, and that is God. 

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," and all that was in them.

--Genesis 1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made;...In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

  --John 1:1-5

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" 

--Revelation 1:8

My time in Israel is a very recent reminder and reinforcement of the constant nature of God. On our third day of touring, we saw God's creative hand in the Mediterranean Sea...

In the workmanship of reconstruction around Herod's Theater, and the beauty of even the stone in the Archaeological gardens...

In the majestic views from high atop the monastery at Mt. Carmel... Yes, God has always been at work.

We witnessed the ingenuity of men, the makers God made, in the construction of aqueducts that carried water for miles well before modern plumbing. At the time, this WAS modern plumbing!

I could "Taste and see that the Lord is [constantly] good" (Psalm 34:8) as I enjoyed yummy falafel, hummus and salads at a fast food lunch. Based on the food alone, I know that God is good!

We finished up day 3 with a hike as we visited the Canaanite City of Meggido.

Perched high on a hill, several cities have been built here, one atop another, and many battles have been fought in this place. 

It is a good vantage point, from which to see approaching enemies, and this is believed to be the location for the future battle of Armageddon, the Battle of battles. (from Revelation 16:16)

But even in Meggido, where so much blood has been spilled, lives have been lost and families have been destroyed...

God brings beauty.

As I watch the news of COVID-19, and I struggle with how I feel about the effect this virus is having on the world (and my own community), I am trying to remember that God brings beauty. He is still working. He may allow illness, heartache and confusion, but God brings beauty through the hope of Jesus.

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" 

--John 4:13-14

As we continue to navigate change, remember to breathe. Call a friend. Video chat. When you must go out, do wash your hands and do not touch your face. See if elderly neighbors or those in poor health need an errand run...groceries, medicine, a bill mailed. Be the hands and feet that show love to one another.

And in the quiet moments that quarantine can bring, get plenty of rest, so you can stay healthy. Maybe learn a new hobby...perhaps knitting...who knows? You might just love it as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by. Breathe and Knit in Good Health!