​Tuesday is the noisiest day of the week.  It is the day the landscapers care for our lawns and shrubs.  First, the industrial mower cuts all the grass to the recommended 4” height.  Then the person with the edger walks around each section of lawn around each building cutting the tendrils of grass with the audacity to grow into the borders. Then the shrub trimmer comes around to ensure the shrubs do not get out of control. And, finally, the person with the heavy-duty blower comes around to blow grass cuttings and excess shrubs from our carports, drives, and streets. Tuesday is the day Riley the Quisling (RtheQ), our 14-year-old cat, hides under the bed in case the noise-maker ventures into the house. 
 
Recently I have felt like hiding under the bed with RtheQ.  Every news cast, most fb posts, NextDoor conversations, too many emails and nearly all neighborhood conversations focus on SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting disease, COVID-19.  I have had enough!  I want to hear about the latest escapades of your grandchildren, the coming of spring flowers, your summer vacation plans, the color of your newest pair of shoes. You get the idea.  Since I cannot do anything about the noise around except turning off the TV and avoiding social media, what can I do?  Romans 12:2 tells us ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’   It is up to me to renew my mind with the promises of God summed up in Jeremiah 29:11 ‘ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

 I feel like a turn coat! A traitor! A Quisling! I am excited it is raining today.  I do have to confess I wasn’t too happy as I was driving in a vision-blocking gully-washing thunderstorm for 15 minutes on the expressway this morning. That was downright scary.  But right now, I am safe on the screen porch listening to the soft drops in the aluminum eave troughs.  We are between the dry winter months with dormant browning lawns and the summer month’s tropical storms turning them into swift-growing swamps. It is an in-between time of once-a-week rain when we enjoy green grass and flowering shrubbery. The Hillsborough County Extension Agent knowledgeable in local landscaping assures us the dry season is necessary to give the grass a time to recover from the intense growing season of the hot, wet summer months.
 
I have those dry months in my spiritual life.  A time when I bide my time.  A time of introspection.  A time of ‘going through the motions’ with no expectation of a new revelation of God.  It is a time when I go back to the basics: I do my devotions, pray, listen to uplifting music and wait. I do not doubt God is right here with me every moment.  I know His apparent silence is a time for me to learn and grow; a time to be patient as I know God is nurturing and strengthening me for the next mission h\He has for my life.
 
If you are feeling distance from God although you are practicing spiritual disciples, keep practicing.  Dig deep; be nurtured; gain strength. When the moment if right, God will reveal the next mission He is entrusting to you.            
 
Psalm 63 (NIV)
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

​ Are you as sick of THE virus as I am?  I have had a steady diet of COVID-19 news for so long I can hardly remember three months ago when the hot news was impeachment. I have modified my behavior to include staying home as much as possible, and when I must go out, I wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet away from others, and apply hand sanitizer before I touch anything in my truck.  At the end of my shift at the emergency squad, I removed my shoes before getting into my truck, take a shower immediately upon returning home, and wash my uniform in hot water. Social media memes these days are dedicated to expressing thanks for folks working on the frontlines, complaining about CDC policies or people ignoring state restrictions, and sympathizing with 2020 seniors who are missing many rites of passage.  
 
Technology connecting us has been a life saver. The final 3 sessions of our Bible study were Zoom meetings. I attended a virtual Discipleship seminar yesterday with 5000 others including breakouts Zoom sessions.  Sunday worship includes a live stream service from the Bridge, our church, and the messages streamed by several of our friends in New York.  Frankly, there is something unsatisfying about worshipping in private. This is a radical statement coming from a nerdy introvert. A passage in Hebrews 10 comes to mind. Verses 24 and 25 remind us seeing our brothers and sisters face to face is powerful encouragement. 
 
Join me in praying for healing of those afflicted with COVID-19; for safe reopening of churches, entertainment and personal services; for development of effective antivirals and vaccines against this coronavirus; and for patience for all in this stay-at-home/social distancing world.
 
  Hebrews 10: 24-25  (NIV) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.