“I have told you these things, so that in me
you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world.”—John 16: 33
In the
World
I feel lonely in the world,
a longing inside,
I do not know what to do about.
My words know,
therefore, I write.
A reminder I am not alone.
--Alan Anderson, Oct. 22, 2021
Throughout the past almost two
years, I made it a point to not write about the Covid pandemic. This post is an
exception. I trust you will sense my inner landscape as I lay bare my
experience of Covid weariness.
Covid Weariness
A young woman loved by my
wife, and I visited us on Terry’s birthday. We chatted for a few minutes, then
our conversation took on a more serious tone as she talked about the Fiend, the
Covid pandemic. Terry and I listened to every groan of her heart. Her words
sounded like one who could no longer hold back the conflict within her.
As life-changing
effects and consequences of this unprecedented time drag on, life will never be
the same. Like the beloved young woman I mentioned, my inner life has not been
left unscarred.
A prompt for this month's post
asks, “How have you faced the tendency to look back and long for how it used to
be?” This reality of reminiscence for life gone by fills my mind with questions.
The questions are like little rats gnawing at my brain. Questions like, when
will the pandemic end? How long will it be until we have “normal” again? Will
the health orders become even more restrictive? I can’t answer these questions
right now, but these little pests need to be dealt with.
I clench my fists when I hear
anything about Covid, yet here I am writing about it. Often these days, my body
aches after being with people who seem fixated on the pandemic. My mind, my
heart, my inner life, scramble to escape this stalking monster.
The attitudes and tone of many
people these days ripped an explosive division through society. Like boiling lava,
these thoughts spew out of people like volcanoes long overdue for eruption.
While the pandemic insists on
acting like a murderous bully, I stay home most of the time. When I venture out,
perhaps once a week I wear a mask. I hate to wear a mask. I am not noble, nor
am I in compliance with the powers that be with regards to the mask order. I
wear a supposed helpful mask because I can’t be bothered explaining to people
if I do not wear one. I am also done with the petty arguments I hear on anything
pertaining to the Fiend. I am plain old tired of it all!
Embrace Peace
Jesus promised us peace. I
need to embrace His peace more. I enjoy a sense of peace when I am at home or
with my church family. Walks on the dike near home act as a security blanket
for me. My peaceful places do not crowd my mind and heart with the insanity
common in the world.
True peace is possible amid the hurricane powered pandemic of illness and people judging others so common today. How about you, dear InScribe family? How are you bearing up these days?
Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018. Alan has also written articles for FellowScript Magazine. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca. He has written blog posts for this blog since 2015.
