At 8 years of age, I was just becoming aware of exciting changes in my family’s daily life: we rented a nice house in a good neighborhood, I loved my new school, Daddy had the same job for several years, he was getting his pilot’s license and there was a nice beef roast ever Sunday. I remembered days when none of those things were true, but mostly I remember Mama and Grandmother talking about how bad things had been during the depression—no jobs, no money, no hope.
The only uneasy note was that my
uncle J.C. had joined the army right after his 18th birthday and was
sent straight to the
Normal life gone! Shortages, price-fixing, housewives taking civilian jobs, replacing all the men gone to war. Standing in line hoping to buy gasoline if you had a car, laundry soap, anything metal or paper, canned goods, meat, leather shoes--now that my family had tasted freedom to have a few luxuries like Sunday roast beef and Sunday afternoon drives? Not only did we now need cash but also ration stamps (government permission to buy limited amounts of goods now available to civilians after the armed forces received their necessary weapons and supplies).
This was a simpler time when people pulled together for common goals: winning the war and sharing fairly what goods were available; they gathered at church to pray for their nation and for each other. There were a few opportunists who made their fortune selling goods they hoarded to the needy at exorbitant prices, but they were widely considered criminals. If shoes wore out before new ration stamps were available, you wore the old ones, hoping the shoe repair shop could keep your feet dry. Daily newspapers were eagerly devoured for hopeful war news and carefully recycled in some manner (such as creating temporary inner soles for your leaky shoes). School children were ordered to use both sides of a sheet of paper before discarding it. My life continued, but with a hole in my heart for my beloved J.C., who didn't survive.
And normal life didn’t begin to return for four years!
As many years as I had been alive when it began. In another decade or two, we faced the polio epidemic, financial booms and busts, new diseases and cures, lesser wars with less involvement or personal sacrifice. But our nation stood strong and together we survived.
Do some of these things sound familiar today, as our world faces another crisis?
Many lives were lost during World War II, and due to famine and disease through the ages, just as many are now victims of the current epidemic. Today’s crisis is not the only one nor the worst in history and as always, many will die but most will live. During your lifetime, you will (unless the Lord calls His children Home) face other fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemics, just like the Bible warns us.
Your older relatives remember how deeply that world war changed our daily lives and our future, just as covid-19 is changing yours. Most of you will survive but may face a different, less cohesive nation. The aftermath of divisive, selfish interest groups, political strife now unchecked by any moral healing—unless and until we remember to look up and seek guidance from our forgotten Creator, Healer, Teacher, Savior, Judge, who is waiting but whose longsuffering patience will soon end.
Whether or not you know God personally, you will go through these dark days—either alone and fearful, or with His companionship, guidance and support, knowing He will carry you during the worst; He will be beside you now and for eternity, beginning the moment you call Him. He offers eternal life (beginning NOW!) if you simply ask.
Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be
dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
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