I remember... 80/366

I am old enough to remember

• when the phone was attached to the wall, had a rotary dial and if you were lucky, a really long handset cord
• when the only toilets you didn't have to flush were the ones housed in a small building out back of the house
• when the flu caused people to be scared
• when stores closed by 9 weekdays, 6 on Saturdays and didn't open at all on Sunday
• when facetime was time spent in the same room
• when computers were found only in businesses-and would take up whole rooms, now they are a device you can sit on your lap, hold in your hand or wear on your wrist
• when gasoline was 89 cents a gallon and my dad (or I) pumped it for you, washing your windshield and checking your oil while your tank filled 
• when running a credit card meant putting it on a machine plate and embossing the number on a form in triplicate-one copy went to the customer, one was for the business, and one was sent to the credit card company
• when home internet service was dial up
• when flip phones were an exciting improvement in cell phone technology
• when porch sitting was a normal event
• when going to the movies meant a drive in, where you hoped the speaker you parked by worked, that the clip would hold it on the window and that the bugs weren't swarming 
• when playing tag was a physical, not a phone activity
• when messages required paper, a writing utensil, an envelope, a stamp and time to be delivered
• when we advanced, and messages could be left after the beep on an answering machine
• when a quick reply was measured in days, not portions of seconds
• when ordering things to be delivered required finding a paper catalog, and looking through it, page by page
• getting a polio vaccine
• being quarantined for the measles, the mumps and the German measles
• when I thought relying on my wisdom, my strength, my understanding was smart
• when I realized that allowing God to be God in my life was not a sign of needing a crutch, but an understanding that I was dead and He was the only One who could give me life 
• what life was like before I learned to lean on and trust God, and I don't ever want to go back to that place of self-sufficiency. He is my solid foundation, and no matter what life throws my way, I will not be moved-because He will not be moved and my hope is anchored in Him and His unfailing love.

It would be fun to read what this kind of list will look like for my kids and grandkids when they are my age. I am pretty confident that surviving COVID-19 will make their list. Why? Because life today is not the same as life was a week ago for any of us. Nothing, in all of my days, or theirs, has required as drastic changes and adjustments as quickly or as widespread as this disease has. 

Through all of the chaos and uncertainty there is one thing I am confident of: 

COVID-19 did not catch God by surprise.

My remembrances of His past faithfulness are so many and so strong that this present crisis is not enough to make me doubt Him. I know without wavering, that:

He loves us

He sees what is going on

He knows what will happen

He cares about us

He is working His eternal plan

He is faithful

He is good

He is kind

He is compassionate

He is true

and because of these things, 

it is, 

and it always will be,

well with my soul

I pray it is well with your soul too