Shelter-in-place! Isolate! Self-Quarantine! Social Distancing! “Safer-at-Home”
Along with the rest of the world we entered into the mysterious and “fearful” world of COVID-19. As we watched the news and wondered how this would affect our travel plans….we started seeing signs and hearing reports of “Self Quarantine”, “Isolate”, “Stay-at-Home”. All travel is being discouraged, Campgrounds are closing, so we had to regroup and make changes for the weeks ahead. See the following blogs for how we “rolled-with-the-virus”. God opened up new adventures for us that was not on our radar. New people, new places, and a new way to trust in His love and protection!
These are just some of the Headlines that we are reading. The whole world is reacting to this “deadly virus” in unimaginable ways.
Every day…no, every hour the landscape of recommendations, rules, and orders are changing our lives along with everyone else. Social distancing and face masks are now the norm at every truck stop. Rest areas are closed/barricaded, restaurants are closed to dine-in (take-out only), and all State Parks and National Parks throughout the US are closed.
All groups are limited to 10 or less people, so all churches and any other gathering places for any reason are in effect “closed”.
Adding a face to COVID-19, Gary was diagnosed with the Coronavirus. Hundreds of people praying!!
We received word in late March that my brother Gary tested positive for the virus and was placed on a ventilator. He was sedated and partially paralized to keep him from dropping his O2 levels trying to protect his other organs. Things looked very grim. His wife Wanda was not allowed to enter the hospital or see Him for a month. All we could do was pray and trust God with Gary’s life.
Hundreds of people were praying as the word spread about Gary. Then we received this pic …and the announcement of a miracle! Gary was alert, off the ventilator, and Wanda was able to be with Gary again! We were overjoyed and full of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord for His mercy and love for Gary and the family!
Gary still has a long road of recovery. During his down tile with the ventilator he developed a serious and deep bed-sore wound. After operations, a special “sand bed”, and lots of tender loving care, he is making progress. The next steps will be weeks (months?) of re-hab before heading home to continue to recover. We are continuing to pray daily for God to completely heal him and give him strength for the days ahead!
Changes made to our daily life.
Shopping is probably the biggest change for most people. All small business are orderd “closed” so all shopping is on-line or at the big-box stores. The economy has tanked – unemployment is higher that anytime is US history. Shelves of “essential” products are empty (e.g. toilet paper!?!). We are shopping once a week – get there, check off our list, and get back “home”. We only were our masks when required – so far twice. We are not living in fear but we do practice social distancing, washing often and using hand sanitizer. The most comforting thing for us is that God led us to increase our immunity by practicing good heath habits and eating nutritious fruits and vegetables. Taking Juice Plus! daily has given us the benefit of a strong supported healthy immune system. We continue to thrive and enjoy life even during this pandemic.