Chris Gow’s analysis of the Parable of the Sower was worth a re-listen and a long ponder. On my walk with Jesus this afternoon the unfairness of grace was used by the Spirit to expose why I’m resistant to pray for a beautiful home for our family in Rapid City, SD. In the world I live in, the world Ben so poignantly describes, I am so aware of my littleness and unworthiness against the backdrop of human agony that I am offended that the King of History would give us any kind of preferential treatment. Yet He does that, doesn’t He? He binds Himself to Abram, even though His covenant drags His Name into disrepute and puts Him in the impossible situation of defending and blessing a sinner. There’s no explaining it: He’s absolutely mad in His relentless commitment to grace.
So, without bartering or offended silence, to the glory of Jesus' radical grace, I ask that the Father would give us a beautiful, restful abode for our family in the Black Hills.
Amie, Graham and Royal have been sick for a month. Never in my life have I seen such persistent sickness as I have in the past year. Royal wakes two or three times most nights, Amie coughs and hacks all day long, and Graham is tired and sniffly. Even though I haven’t had symptoms, I’ve been especially tired, probably from fighting it off.
After a failed hearing test we discovered that Royal has had fluid in his ears for months. He’s scheduled to install ear tubes and remove part of his adenoids.
This letter is the least I can do for Devonshire Montessori and the parents who learned on their way to drop their children at school that their trip was in vain. This is just the kind of bullshit that has crushed parents for years now.
TRANSCRIPT
I am a father of two boys age 4 and 2. This morning I learned that my youngest’s class will be closed all week for a positive COVID case. The case was present last week, May 11th. That’s 5 days from today, but it will be 12 days before next Monday. The school received this determination at 7:37 a.m. this morning Monday May 16.
Your policy for some time now has been to quarantine exposed children for 5 days with a PCR test. When and why did this suddenly change? Or was this determination a mistake?
When you change your policy and give no warning to parents and schools you leave us both in an impossible situation. I would appreciate an answer to my previous question but, even more, I would like to know how I may best contact your organization’s leadership to express my disappointment and lobby for change, especially since your phone number 847 933 8252 cannot receive calls because the inbox is full.
UPDATE: A nurse called me on the 24th of May in response to my letter. She kindly explained what happened and expressed her apologizes at the constantly changing rules. I am so grateful for the follow-up.
Apparently, the reason this particular case was modified from a five-day quarantine to ten days was purely because the school couldn’t vouch for 100% mask wearing in their toddler classroom. Fancy that, they couldn’t promise that a bunch of two-year-olds always kept their masks on. Anyways.
From the nurse’s description, it sounds like it’s been a major challenge to keep current on the latest CDC guidelines and apply them on each case for every school in the district.
This painting is encouraging to me at this time because I’ve also been meditating on eternal life.
While we live in this temporal life friendship and camaraderie are haunted by fear of loss. The older I become, the more friendships I enjoy, the more barbs of sadness I seem to carry in the friendships that have grown dim by distance and time. But humans aren’t meant to be pincushions of sadness and loss. The promise of eternal life offers a path out from sadness towards hope.
As Jesus rose from the dead with a body unconstrained by space, and since time is a function of space (thanks Einstein), then time also will be for us an endless present, unfettered from the curse of decay. The friendships represented in fingerprint leaves will life on in eternal present, unspoiled by time and distance. Though now I grieve that I may not again enjoy the company of many friends whom I love, I shall yet break bread with them in a fresh reality where goodbye will be erased from our vocabulary.
Graham and I were getting special drinks to celebrate the start of the Sabbath when we were approached by a camera crew who wanted to hear how we felt about the rising COVID risk. Since I’ve spent many hours thinking about this subject, I foolishly thought I should offer my opinion.
Not that the interviewer did anything to make me feel a fool; they were professional. No, as I walked away I replayed the quips I’d made about danger, vaccination, and precautions. Even if they tried, I don’t think I could be made to appear more foolish than what I freely offered.
I said that we follow CDC guidelines, but in the spotlight I couldn’t remember them. I tried to explain how difficult it’s been as a parent, but I couldn’t recall any of the many times we’ve scrambled to find a test for the boys, or the many obstacles children continue to face.
I’m quite humiliated at how silly I can be when put in front of a camera. For a more reasonable response (not that anyone will ever see my interview) here is an open letter I wrote to the mayor of Evanston. I’m not concerned about the rise in cases in our city because, even though the data my post relies on is no longer current, I have not read of a change in circumstance.
Yesterday morning I went out to look for a delivered package. Royal, who is turning out to be quite the morning person, went with me. Instead of looking and returning to our apartment, he walked out the door and down the street in his pajamas. He was so happy to be out, singing and skipping, that we walked all the way around the block, smelling flowers, noticing trucks, and chasing squirrels. This morning after breakfast he went straight over to put on his sandals for our walk. I guess 6:30 a.m. walks are now our thing.
Every day gets us closer to our South Dakota move. Our condo was put on the market a couple days ago. We thought that we’d find a home to purchase before the end of May, but that’s not looking likely so we may rent after all.
We’ve had a lovely stretch without much sickness, but somehow it still finds us every couple weeks or so. It was about three weeks that Amie had a fever, aches, dizziness and chills. All the same symptoms are back today. If it goes like last time, I’ll have the same in three days.
The boys have soccer practice every Thursday, courtesy of Devonshire Montessori. They’ve both enjoyed it I think, though Royal, to our astonishment, is taking many weeks to warm to participating. Each week he gets a little closer: first, it was sitting on Anne’s lap (she’s the teacher), then rolling on the ground, then rolling on the ball, on the ground.
I’m waiting for Royal to sleep. Since we moved him to the bottom bunk it’s taken longer to put him to sleep. He already has recurrent sleep issues and is now also able to walk out the door. So I’m sitting here outside the door, periodically asking him to get back in bed. Eventually I will get what’s left of the night to myself; maybe an hour.
