The Day Everything Changed
We tend to remember historical days that made an impact on our lives and on the world. We’ll always remember where we were on September 11, 2001. For my parents’ generation, November 22, 1963 will live forever in their memories.
Other days have significance too. The space program is chock full of them. July 20, 1969: man walks on the moon for the first time. January 28, 1986: the Challenger explosion. February 1, 2003: Columbia disintegrates upon re-entry.
There are different historical days that I think of, like December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was shot and killed, or March 30, 1981, when an assassin attempted to take the life of President Ronald Reagan.
Maybe we need to add March 11, 2020 to the list of historical days, because it was the day everything changed.
It was one year ago today that the federal government declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. They started out telling us that it would take “15 days to slow the spread,” but little did we know.
So many of us had to adjust to working from home. Kids were forced to go to school online—and in some places they haven’t returned.
Some states and localities took drastic lockdown measures, while others opened back up not long after the original quarantine period began. Masks and social distancing became the norm.
For me, work went into overdrive. As a church staff, we had to scramble to change things quickly. We hastily recorded an online service video and soon learned how to “do church” online exclusively for a while.
It seemed there was always something new to communicate, which meant that I had to do something work-related every day for several weeks. I had constant phone calls and email threads wordsmithing various new announcements.
Add to all of this the fact that my dad went into the hospital that same weekend. It was the beginning of the end for him and a new chapter for my family.
We’re still dealing with the effects of that fateful day. Mask virtue signaling from both sides continues, and we’re still standing six feet from most people. Some areas are still under heavy lockdown. And don’t forget about the vaccine.
Looking back over the past year, we’ve all learned plenty of lessons, but the biggest reminder that I get everyday is that God is in control. He was before the pandemic, He is during the craziness, and He will continue to be when all is said and done. That’s always a fact worth taking away from any scenario.
Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash