Furnace Fixed!

The part came today and Kevin fixed the furnace.  Hooray!  We weren't suffering too much since we had space heaters here and there, but this is way better.

I am thankful the furnace didn't bug out in the midst of a real cold snap.

Yesterday I ran around like a nut (entirely at home) in a decluttering frenzy.  I organized all the fabric and yarn and moved things around in our storage room.  It looks so much better that when Kevin went in there, he didn't notice anything different.

Ha ha ha!

Seriously, that is funny to me.  It does look a lot better but it's just a storage room.

On a more serious note, a friend's uncle has coronavirus and is in a hospital nearby. I know plenty of people are sick and dying but somehow it seems more real. This man is MY AGE, which is also rather unnerving.

We continue to quarantine diligently.  

Many years ago, I read a book called The Hot Zone by Robert Preston.  It is a true story about disease in general and an Ebola variant (eventually named Ebola Reston) which landed on American shores in the late 1980's. The Ebola that we are more aware of hits people; thankfully, Ebola Reston turned out only to be a problem for primates.  It could have been a catastrophe if it had affected humans because it showed up here in primates and it took a long time to figure out it was an Ebola variant.  So yeah, it could have been bad.

I do remember the book talking about how Ebola is actually somewhat self containing because people get so sick, so fast, that quarantining is easier.  It is horrible but by the time someone is contagious, that person is OBVIOUSLY sick so people know to take care.

HIV is at the opposite end of the spectrum in some ways. People get infected and are contagious and might go YEARS before displaying any symptoms at all.  It is a horrible disease, a killer. The only reason the entire planet hasn't succumbed to HIV (well, that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean) is that it doesn't transmit that easily.  It is tied into sexual relations and drug use almost completely.

Enter coronavirus. I am not an expert at all but I totally see the problem. It is a killer, for SOME people. It is easily transmitted through sneezing and coughing and snot.  And for many people, it causes basically no symptoms.

We could have coronavirus and not know it.  People sometimes test positive and have NO symptoms at all.  But they are contagious.  And then there is that segment of the population which for whatever reason is very susceptible, and those folks are in the hospital with double pneumonia. Some of them are dying. Old people are struggling, and those with preexisting conditions.  But some young, healthy people are dying also.  Of course, the older people matter tremendously.  I'm just saying this thing is a vicious killer of almost everyone. (Thankfully, children have been almost completely spared, which is helpful as a mom.)

I have been praying for wisdom for our leaders.  I am also thinking about how this is the first time in my lifetime that I've dealt with something like this. I was blase about Ebola a few years ago. We had a few cases that crossed to the U.S.A. but it was stamped out quickly.

Back in the Middle Ages, the Black Death (bubonic plague) tore across Europe, decimating people by the millions. Literally.  But in our day and age, probably the closest we have come to something like this was the Spanish Flu 100 years ago. Which obviously isn't my lifetime.

Now we have much improved medical knowledge but people are still dying by the hundreds from this thing. And the worst is probably to come.

It is scary.

But I have Jesus.

I have Jesus.

The kids and I were talking about the crucifixion today.  One interesting aspect of having 9 children is having adult children who have studied apologetics and little kids who are still learning about the basics of the faith.  We talked again about how Jesus died for us, for our sins. A horrible death, sacrificially endured for our sakes.

Last night, I was caught by the following verse:

Romans 8:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[a] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[b] 

I never thought of it this way before but I think what this verse is saying is that the Law of God (all his instruction about how to live) COULD save us except that we are sinful people.  We all of us fail to live out God's laws.  Some of us are better than others at obeying the Lord's call in mind and body but we all fall WAY SHORT.  

I am a sinner and I am saved by grace.  Jesus saved me.

I am not really scared of coronavirus.  But realistically, this is a huge thing happening and I could get it and I could have a major problem with it.  I don't think I will but I COULD.

And I could die.  I mean, eventually I WILL die.  

I really don't want to die right now because of Kevin and the kids and all my loved ones.  (My dad has told me more than once that I'm not allowed to die before he is, because parents shouldn't outlive their children.  I agree.)

But when I do die, I am saved by the blood of Christ and I will go to be with the Lord in Heaven.  That helps me manage my anxiety during these crazy days.

My prayer is that all of you who are reading this blog turn to the Lord during this time for help.  If you don't know Jesus as Savior and are interested in more information, shoot me a comment.  

Blessings on you all!