Today, I am taking a moment to jot down a few thoughts that have been running around in my mind for a few days about Missouri, the Delta Variant, and a Summer of Trouble. Although hard, I think we have an opportunity to still be grateful.

Missouri, the Delta Variant, and a Summer of Trouble

The Delta Variant

When the Delta variant hit Missouri late in June, it produced an amazing wake of trouble. During our Wednesday prayer meetings at church, there were a few weeks where almost every prayer request dealt with some form of COVID trouble. We prayed for person after person who were sick. During a two-week period, seven people I knew died because of COVID complications. As a fairly healthy (maybe, kind of) young man (of course), I think if someone told me I had COVID again, I could have easily become afraid. Death was all around. COVID complications lingered long among many friends from long-term coughing to even hair loss.

Although I had COVID last December and suffered under its effects for several weeks, our church had primarily been COVID free. This summer, at one point, we had COVID seemingly all over our church family. Thankfully, we were COVID free before, during, and after junior camp; however, basically 40% of the teenagers we sent to camp came down with it within two days of coming home from youth camp. Basically, this was at the beginning of the Delta variant. On the Saturday night after our youth camp ended on Wednesday, my daughter came home around 9:00 pm. While talking to her, I realized that she had a few friends who all felt badly. My first thought was COVID. I called a few parents and several ran out to get at-home COVID tests. We tested four teenagers just after 10:00 pm in various homes and three out of four had it. At 11:30 pm on that Saturday night we cancelled our in-person services the next day and went to virtual only. Delta had arrived.

Over the months of July and early August, many came down with the virus. Our hospitals reported record numbers. Springfield and Southwest Missouri became the subject of national news as the Delta variant spread. Many died. Several of my friends, family of our church members, friends of church members, coworkers, former coworkers, and others died. No one I know in this area was not affected.

Yet, We Can Be Grateful

Let me be very honest. Although the summer started off so well, the months of July and August were hard. The forecast every day: hot, humid, and COVID complications. But, my friends, we made it. God brought us through it. Our numbers have dropped. Our hospitals are still full but more and more are from other states. The hospital that shares its COVID numbers almost daily reports only 6 people admitted in its system from our county and just 21 from Greene. That’s incredible progress.

Further, we would be like Florida, Texas, Kentucky, and other states right now if it were not for our summer. Thankfully, we did fight the Delta variant in the summer and not the school year. In these other states, it continues to spread as this variant moves around the country. I couldn’t help but respond in gratitude that we faced it when our schools were out for weeks. These others states face this variant as they continue to try to educate their children. For this, we can be grateful. As bad as the Delta variant was in our area, it could have been worse.

Still yet, we rejoice together that God’s Word brought us comfort, hope, and light throughout the summer – as it continues to do so now. We rejoice together that the Bible teaches to die is gain (Phil 1:21). To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). We rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to help us sorrow as those with hope (1 Thess 4:13). God remains sovereign. He walks with us through our suffering. He cares and loves us. For all of these things, we can and should be grateful.

What’s Next?

What’s next? Who knows. I would not dare pretend to know this answer.

What I do know is that God knows and that we can trust Him (Eccl 3).

Friend, if you are ready for eternity and walk with God, you will be fine no matter what comes next. Again, for this, we can be truly grateful.

For further thoughts: Death and the Delta Variant

 

Image Credit Önder Örtel

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