I woke up this morning and checked the amount of deaths in the US. As of April 19, 2020, it was 45,075. And even if we are making progress according to Governor Pritzker and the President, it looks like social distancing will continue through the summer and there is even talk of a possible upsurge in the fall with the combination of influenza and Covid-19. That might even make it difficult for young people to go back to school. This prognosis causes a cloud of depression to engulf me. On top of the news, my left foot has been giving me problems. What has kept me sane during the shutdown is my faith in God and my ability to take long walks while enjoying nature.

I’m doing what I can to take care of my left foot and I’m thankful for the many blessings that have come my way as a senior citizen. These have been the golden years for Larry and I. We have traveled to Germany, Spain, Italy and Hawaii. We have biked throughout Illinois and Wisconsin and skied the hills of Wilmot and Colorado. We have been blessed with a good pension and a wonderful financial planner.

Now, we are called to sit on the shelf of life for awhile. This is not an easy task for the Schuerrs who have a bit of Bohemian in them. We love to travel and to enjoy new experiences and meet new people. We are gregarious. But what are we thankful at the time in life. We were able to visit our Montana family at Christmas and we have our daughter and her beautiful family 48 miles away from us. We were able to travel to Oahu, Hawaii in February and stay at a military resort called Hale Koa and a base called Hickam AFB. We spent 10 lovely days strolling this beautiful island and enjoying wonderful hikes and scenic ocean views. I close my eyes and hear the ocean, see the flowers and enjoy the beauty that surrounded me.

Now we are learning new ways to deal with the stay at home order. We are finding that we can find happiness in simple ways. We have time now to enjoy the birds at our feeder, to cook delicious meals, to give to others in need and to develop our talents. We are getting to know the people in our neighborhood and to Zoom with friends and family. We hope that during this time we will become a better version of ourselves.

We have so much to be thankful for. Everyday, we find something to laugh about. Humor is of upmost importance. In fact, I wrote a story for Chicken Soup for the Soul, Laughter is the Best Medicine that was published. I love reading the stories before bedtime. At breakfast, we are planning our dinner menu. Larry has taken it to new heights creating tasty dishes. We can have an extravagant meal with wine and candle lights right here at home. We can enjoy our own yard as we watch the flowers bloom. I can write and play the piano and share it with friends and family. Right now, we are reading the book of James to glean morsels of advice on living a better life. That has led us to finding ways to give to people who are struggling financially at this time. We find that helping others has taken the focus off ourselves as it brings unexpected joy to others. We are following the guidelines to keep Covid-19 at bay.

Zoom has opened up a new world. I’m part of a book club that has 7 members and now 2 international members from Australia. Technology has opened up so many new doors for us. What can we learn to be a better version of ourselves during these days. What are you doing to brighten your days? Feel free to comment.

I heard a flock of sand hill cranes overhead beckoning the end of winter. I even saw three fox pups frolicking in our yard. Despite seeing snow flakes today, April 9^th, the trees are budding, the crocuses have pushed their faces toward the heavens and the days are getting pleasantly longer. Yes, what looked like death is certainly now alive. Nature is such a beautiful picture of the resurrection of Christ. In the background, I love listening to Handel’s Messiah and the song, “I Know that My Redeemer Lives”. It is the perfect Passover/Easter message.

This has been a very difficult month with the unseen enemy lurching in all corners of our nation waiting to prey on young and old alike. It is no respecter of social economic status-willing to target even the likes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and actor, Tom Hanks. The stories of it’s capricious nature is the subject of our daily news. Covid-19 as of April 11^th has infected 423,135 and killed 14,390 just in the US. Worldwide 105,722 have died from the virus. We are making progress in remedying the invader by practicing social distancing, isolating ourselves in our homes and wearing masks. We hope these activities will vanquish the enemy. At this point, all of our idols are being torn down and we are scrambling like Humpty Dumpty to put the world back together again. Many of us are resorting to Zoom to celebrate Easter this year. We can’t help but reflect on our lives, our families, our occupations and our relationship with the living God. We are cornered. The distractions have been relegated to the four walls of our homes, our yards and occasional walks in our neighborhoods.

But there is hope. God loves you and has a plan for your life. “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10. Just like nature is filled with a diversity of flowers and trees, so God has many ways to call his own to himself. Most of us have a thirst for more than this life can offer. We know deep inside that the end of life is not the end. It’s written in our hearts.

I was an agnostic at the University asking God,while watching the sunset, to bring meaning and purpose in my life. I told God if he was there, He could have my life. Then I added, “Make something wonderful happen, if you truly exist.” That night, I met Larry, my husband and soul-mate, at a dance. I was intrigued that maybe there really was a God. I dusted off the Bible tucked away in the corner of my dorm closet and began reading the book of John. Jesus was just an historical character to me, not a living and resurrected being. I started keeping a journal of how He demonstrated his existence to me. Over the years of our marriage, we have seen the hand of God in our own lives, our families’ lives, and so many others.

My search for God, brought me to a study of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the coming Messiah. We are thankful to the Jews who faithfully and accurately penned the Old Testament with the prophecies of Christ. (See Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and google the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls) Also read Acts 10 and 1 Corinthians 15.

I was a skeptic and understand the many questions and concerns you may have,especially in this politically charged atmosphere where I’d rather refer to myself as a follower of Christ rather than as a Christian. Regardless, I have spent years as an educator with a Master’s degree from Concordia University. If you are feeling like something is missing in your life….could it be because you were created for so much more——a relationship with the living God? He has a significant plan for your life. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:12).” If Christ was the Messiah and there is such a thing as abundant life here and life after death—————–wouldn’t you want to know? Anything this important cannot be ignored.

My thoughts and prayers are with you this unusual Easter 2020 as we deal with Covid-19 and the many fears that lurch around the corner of our lives. You can find peace if you search God with your whole heart and put your life in his hands. This is the perfect time to do your own search.

By Susan Schuerr

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About three months ago, I read a book entitled As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner. It described in detail the effects of the flu epidemic in 1918 coinciding with World War1. More people died of the flu than those who died in the war. As I read about the schools and churches being closed and no place to bury or commemorate the dead, I was so thankful that I was living today where we have a better scientific understanding of infections and a vaccine for the flu. But then Covid-19 hit us with 10,000 deaths in the US and 70,000 worldwide according to a John Hopkin’s study 4/5/20.

The novel based on research helped me to understand what is going on today. It was an eye opener for me since my mother being the 12th child in her family, talked about her oldest sister, Belinda, who lost her husband. leaving her as a widow with a son. I heard a few stories from my mother about that time. One day, as a child, she was walking in the dark from the barn to the house in Valders, Wisconsin. She was trembling with fear until she noticed an angel by her side. Her sister said, “That was probably your cousin who died in the flu pandemic.” Whether it was her imagination or a guardian angel, she grew up well aware of the many lives taken by the flu. She was even told that she had the flu and was spared when she had a nose bleed. These were stories I heard as a child.

And here we are on Sunday, April 5th, taking drastic measures to save lives as we practice social distancing and limit our trips to the store. What are we learning about life? Yesterday while we worked in our backyard, we had a lengthy talk with the neighbor behind us. I learned more about his life than I did in the 20 years I knew Dale. As I take my walks, people seem friendlier and less consumed with self and more ready to smile and say hello. We realize now how precious life is and how soon it can be taken. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

I leave you with a poem.

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.” By Kitty O’Meora