I’ve added a new ritual to my mornings since the advent of this pandemic. I take my temperature with the little Vick’s thermometer that sat unused in the medicine cabinet. I’ve discovered I like the feeling of knowing my temp is normal even if the rest of my world is not. Somehow that simple practice serves a purpose beyond that for which the instrument is designed. I figure if my body temp is within a safe range then I’m prepped and ready to face whatever the day may bring. In a time when old norms have been so altered, a daily temperature reading becomes part of the new norm we live shadowed by an unseen enemy. Prayer, scripture, devotional readings and temperature measurement – disciplines to begin the day.
And what do I and all Americans typically face today? That most dreaded day of the year, April 15, the annual deadline date for filing and paying income taxes. But hold on; this is a new normal. Because of COVID-19, federal and state governments have extended tax day to July 15, 2020. Since its institution in 1955, the date has never been changed unless it falls on a Sunday or national holiday, whereupon it is extended to the next working day. But extending it for three months – Nada.
I understand that these ongoing disruptions and interruptions are harrying; that the feeling of being under assault is real for many. And rightly so with food banks scrambling to meet the needs of historic numbers of people, with first line care workers coping with insufficient equipment and supplies, with small and large businesses searching for ways to stay afloat, and of course with us not yet in control of this deadly virus. Scary times for so many. But this morning I come bearing gifts: I noted them in the last sentence of my first paragraph. I imagine more of you are praying more than perhaps you ever did. I suspect a good number of you are seeking solace and guidance in your Bibles. And I’m fairly certain even more of you are reading online or in hardcover devotional books written by Christian writers (personal plug here-mine are available on the usual websites). Today I offer my newest discovery: temperature reading. Maybe like me you’ll find in that little ritual a gentle sense that all is well; that God is still on His throne; that nothing is transpiring of which He is unaware; that in His timing and in His way and purpose all will evolve as He designs; that the greatest lesson we can take away from this new normal is that He alone is our Savior. And even if, heaven forbid, you have an elevated temp, you’ll thank Him for alerting you first thing in the morning!
Love. Joy. Peace.
Amen for the Word today