To Open...Or Close Our Churches

I am so ready for the pandemic to be over with.  I am so ready for churches, stores, shops, entertainment places, restaurants and other businesses to reopen.  It would be good for the economy and our well-being to get back to normal.   This post is about the reopening of churches.

It would be nice to listen to the sermon up close, sing the hymns and enjoy the fellowship with others.   But even with our church buildings closed,  God's doors are always open.   We can pray, worship and sing His praises even in the solitude of our own homes, it's not the same, to be sure.   And does everyone "worship" in the privacy of their homes?  Probably not as often as they should.    In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I have reservations about opening our churches and  other places too soon.

In the location I live, the church doors were closed in the middle of March, during Lent.   We  missed our Lenten worship services, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter worship.   Now, two months later, the church doors remain closed, but there is talk of reopening.

Our church membership is comprised of mostly senior citizens, aged 65 and up.   Many of those people have health issues, such as heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, lung problems and have had cancer.   Some of them are smokers.   Should any of them contract the COVID-19, they run the risk of serious complications.     If the doors to churches (and other establishments) open too soon and this virus creeps into the doors. . . .one can only imagine.

One might argue that it should be your choice to attend or not during this time.   Of course that argument has merit.   Should the doors open before you are ready to mingle with others, by all means, stay home.  (But there will be those who will attend against their better judgement because of a certain amount of "peer pressure.")

People are tired of the isolation - that is understandable.   To those who are believers, worship is an essential part of life.  Worship nourishes the soul, it solidifies our belief.    I am reminded of the early settlers in our area:  there were no churches and no pastors for several years after coming to our area. Yet, they worshipped in their homes, kept their faith and built their congregations with a strong faith that endures to this day.   Their Sunday worship services were few and far between at first, but their faith remained strong.

In the area where I live, the COVID-19 is just now beginning to escalate. It is expected to peak sometime in June to early July.    Shouldn't we at least wait  to see how the virus hits our area to reopen?

Pray that God will guide all of us to do the right thing - His will, not ours.

Merna

Getting a cat was not really on my "high priority" list.   Oh, I always thought they were cute, and it was kind of cozy seeing them curled up at someone's house.   Then one day, my kids said they thought it would be a good idea, since I live alone - companionship, they said.  It will be fun, they said.   

We first saw Merna on a Facebook page for a Humane Society not far from here.  We went to have a look - "just looking," I said.    As we watched people come and select cute little kittens, Merna was in her cage all alone.  She was about 5 or 6 years old and had been overlooked for several months.   Amy (my daughter) went up to her and declared, "she is a good cat."   I don't know how she determined that, since I thought she looked a little ornery and she snapped at me when I tried to pet her.   But Amy was confident this was a good cat, and I nervously signed the adoption papers.   We then headed to Walmart and bought a carrier, some food, some litter, and a litter box - just the basics to start with.   Then went back to pick Merna up and drive the 35 miles home.

Holding the carrier with Merna inside, she must have felt my apprehension.   She eyed me carefully, eyed Amy carefully, and settled down to enjoy the car ride.  (She loved to ride in the car!)  

Once we got home, my nervousness increased.  After all, I had never had a pet (other than goldfish) in the house.  What in the world have I done??    We let Merna out of the carrier, and she proceeded to wander around the house, investigating her new surroundings.  She didn't run and hide, as the lady at the Humane Society said she would.    She quickly decided she was "home" and settled in.

The first night as I lay in bed, I was nearly in tears, wondering what in the world had I gotten myself into?  A cat?  What am I thinking?    Sometime in the night I woke up, and there was Merna, sitting on my bed, looking out the window.  She must have been enjoying her newfound freedom, roaming around the house.    I basically ignored her at first, not sure what she wanted, or I wanted, for that matter.   The next day, Merna jumped in my lap, and sat there content as could be for a long time.  This was the beginning of a nightly ritual - she would jump up, knead on my arm for a bit and then settle down comfortably.    After two weeks, the Humane Society  called to inquire how it was going, and would I like to keep her.   I told them I would keep her, but still some apprehension crept in.   No turning back now!

The grandkids came to visit and Merna took to them immediately.   They could do anything to her - things she would not let me do, such as putting hats on her -- layer after layer of doll/cat hats - and Merna would just sit there and enjoy it.   Who had Merna before me?   Was it a family?  Why was she abandoned?  We will never know.

Merna would also let me know if someone was at the door - often before the visitor even had a chance to knock.   She would know who was coming and greet them; if she didn't know them, she would stand on the stairs until she deemed it was safe to come and mingle.  She was my alarm clock - if I wasn't up by 7:30, she would come and tap my shoulder, making sure I would get up.  As I got up, she would wait for me to use the bathroom, then lead the way to her empty dish and remind me with a loud  meow to fill it up.

This was life with Merna for six years.    Then her health started to deteriorate.  First, she was losing her hair.  The vet couldn't determine any specific reason and gave her an antibiotic, which helped.   Then she decided to quit eating.   She would go to her bowl, look at it, look at me, and walk away.   I tried different foods to no avail.   Then one day, I tried yet another food and she began eating again, and she seemed to be on the mend.   Later, she started losing her fur again, and again, the vet didn't see any explanation, but gave her some medication.    Then the no eating began once again.  This time it was affecting her worse, she was throwing up, and had diarrhea.  Now around 12 years old, things were not looking good.    Another trip to the vet revealed dehydration and kidney failure.  She was not going to get better.  

It was hard to decide that the time had come to say "good-bye," but the vet assured me that if there was anything that could be done, she would have told me.

It's quiet around here without Merna.   She was a good cat, Amy was right.  

 

What About the Senior Citizens?

Have you ever wondered why there aren't "Senior Groups" in our churches?   We have Youth Groups, Men's Groups, Ladies Groups, Kids After School Clubs, Singles Groups, Young Families Groups, High School Groups, Post High School Groups, Bible Camps, Day Camps, sports teams..the list goes on....

To be sure, all of these groups are important.  They are good.  They are necessary.  They are there to support, teach and guide people in their Christian walk through God's Word and fellowship with one another.  

But what about the seniors?  Those who are, let's say, between 65 and 75 (or older!).  Are we assuming that because of their age they no longer need Christian fellowship (and fun) with their peers? Do we assume they don't need spiritual guidance?   We recognize that our youth are transitioning into adulthood and may need a lot of guidance as they grow up.     Seniors are also transitioning, and for many, it is not an easy thing:

• They are getting to an age where their own mortality suddenly smacks them in the face, and  have realized how quickly time has gone by.
• They have experienced the "empty nest"  - their  home life has suddenly gotten quiet.
• They may have lost a spouse - and loneliness is a real issue.
• They may feel less useful at home and at church -  partly because they are unable to do things and partly because they are not asked anymore.   They may not feel important.
• They have retired from jobs that they have held for years.
• They  are bored and falling into a routine of television or computers, or just sitting in their easy chair.  
• They, like any other age, may question their faith
• They may have  spiritual questions but are reluctant to ask
• They may not have the opportunity or the means to go out for a fun day with others (they might no longer be driving
• They have many fears  of the future (nursing homes, shut-in possibility, etc.)

Might it not be a good idea to organize a Senior's Group?  Perhaps a Bible study that results in some real discussion and a little fun besides.  Sure, the seniors aren't going to play baseball, but there are day trips or other activities that could be pursued.    

Often, the Seniors have been supportive, faithful,  Some are the  "prayer warriors" of the church.   Makes sense to develop something they would truly enjoy and benefit from.  

Relatives Discovered

I had my DNA analyzed recently, and goodness, I have a lot of "not-so-terribly-distant" relatives!  Tonight I talked with Barbara, who is related on my Grandma Melby's side.    Grandma Melby's side of the family has always been somewhat of a mystery - Possibly because so many of them had passed a long time before I was even born.   And (of course) I never thought to ask questions about them when I was young, either.

At right is my great grandmother Berthe Marie Olsdatter Hamborg Gaarder.   Berthe and her husband Anders Gaarder had 8 children:  Ole Lauritz, Marte Marie, Peder Anton, Ditlef Arthur, Mina, Berte Marie, Auline, and Ottilie.
Barbara's Great Grandma was Berte and my grandma was Mina (daughters of Berthe & Anders).  What fun to talk to her and compare notes.  She had a lot of dates and names that I didn't have, and I had plenty of tidbits that she didn't have.   We will be keeping in touch, I'm sure.

Genealogy sure is a lot of fun.    And. . .yes, Dodie, she has (she says had) light red hair!

Grandma's Spinning Wheel

This is my grandma Elsie Dahlager's (1872-1959)  spinning wheel.

She had said that this had come from her mother-in-law,

so it was not only grandma's spinning wheel,

but it first belonged to my great-grandma Sigrid Leikvold Dahlager  (1853-1942).

Great-grandma's father was Ole Leikvold (1830-1916).

Ole was a wood lathe operator and carpenter.

He made lefse rolling pins, cupboards, benches, chairs and. . .

spinning wheels.

Ole made this spinning wheel for

his daughter, my great-grandma.

So how old is it, then?   One can't be absolutely sure, but if it was made for her when 

she married Christopher Dahlager in 1874, it would be 143 years old!

The spinning wheel is obviously hand-made.

All the parts appear to be included.

The foot pedal is discolored from grandma's (and great grandma's) 

foot pumping the pedal which caused the wheel to turn.

One can imagine these women sitting at the spinning wheel, 

making the sheep's wool into yarn in order to make

mittens, sweaters, or scarves.

I am honored to have this family heirloom, which will
hopefully stay in the family for years to come.

Grandma

Great-great grandpa

Great Grandma

Mini Vacation

In June, I took a trip with Pam, Drew & Dylan to Kentucky.   What is in Kentucky, you ask?    We went to see the Ark Adventure.   It is a HUMONGOUS structure, built to the specifications of Noah's Ark as told in the Bible.    It is definitely worth going to see - they have depicted what it might have been like on the ark - the animal cages, the living quarters, food storage (for animals and Noah's family), and much, much more.  

We even spent an evening at Churchill Downs!   What fun to see the horse races.  I didn't bet on any horses, BTW.

We went to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.  Very interesting and fun to see.  I even got a (free) miniature Louisville Slugger bat.   

We also walked along the river in Louisville, and visited a garden of a mansion that was gorgeous.

FUN! FUN!

Flowers

This year, my flowers are especially beautiful - the blooms are colorful, the greens are healthy.  It's not that I do anything special - I don't have a "green thumb."    I basically just plant and hope for the best.   This year, I didn't  spend much money buying new plants.   If I had know this was the "year for flowers" I would have gone crazy at the nurseries.

I love Dahlias!

Cosmos are a no-fail for me - just scatter the seeds and watch them grow.

These are the flowers of my Elephant Hostas.

More Dahlias.

Pansy.   My Mom always liked these.

In front of the house.

Phlox.