THOUGHTS ON TODAY AND TIMES PAST

by Craig Ruhl

Today is the 10th day of April 2020. The world is concerned and affected by a worldwide pandemic involving the virus named COVID-19. All of us have had our lives turned upside down with health concerns and changes to our everyday routines and lifestyles. Many states are under a “shelter in place” or “stay at home” proclamation. It forces the world to make many changes in work, shopping, and family dynamics. As we struggle to acclimate to this alternative way of living, I am reminded of an earlier time when my family’s life was simpler and perhaps less stressful. Lessons learned many years ago still serve us well today.

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, my sisters and I were blessed to have a mother who did not need to work outside the home. Dad was an aeronautical engineer who made a modest but adequate income that allowed our family to operate as it did. Mom’s full-time job was to take care of our household. Her duties included shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and paying the bills. This was besides raising three young children and caring for her husband, our father.

For many years, we were a one-car family. My Dad used our car to commute to work, which would leave Mom without transportation during the day. On weekdays, Dad would leave early in the morning and not return home until early evening. Mom tried to have us kids cleaned up and dinner on the table when Dad came home. On Fridays, the daily routine would change. Us kids would get cleaned, dressed and be ready when Dad came home from work. We would first go to the bank where Dad would cash his paycheck, then to Howard Johnson’s for dinner, and after that, we would go to the grocery store for the weeks shopping.

As I was growing up, small independent businesses made home deliveries providing many services and products. I remember dairy, meat, bakery, laundry, and home products being delivered to our home. My favorite was the bread man who would pull up in his truck, open the side panel and display an array of bread, pastries, and cakes. Mom would let us kids pick out a treat and then she would make selections according to her weekly menu needs.

The local dairy delivered milk and butter products to the door. Most homes had an insulated metal box on the doorstep where the delivery man would leave the products. They would also include a paper order form for us to mark what they needed to leave the next time.

Another truck that came by picked up and delivered laundry. Dad’s white dress shirts, tablecloths, and bed linens came back cleaned, starched, and wrapped in brown paper tied in bundles with twine. We washed the rest of the family laundry in the basement and hung it out to dry in the backyard.

The local butcher shop and pharmacy had home delivery available. There was also a Fuller Brush delivery truck that came by with all kinds of household cleaning products. The merchants would leave a paper bill with their deliveries and Mom would pay them by check once a month, leaving the envelope at the door for them to pick up the next time they came by.

On Sundays, after church, our family would climb in the car along with a picnic lunch Mom had made and we would take a leisurely drive in the countryside. Stopping beside a creek or at a park, we loved to spread out a blanket and enjoy lunch and the quiet beauty of nature. Us kids would think of some game to play or just run around while Dad would take a nap and Mom would supervise the lot of us.

We filled our childhood weekdays with school, homework, outdoor sports and games, and some household chores. In the evenings, our family would read, play board games, do puzzles, and maybe watch a show on a small black and white television that, on a wonderful day, received three stations. Sometimes, there was a baseball game on the radio.

We are now confined to being in or around our homes. Many of us are struggling to transition from commuting, rushing to appointments, eating inside restaurants, and normal store shopping. Electronics and their many applications and programs fill our time and relieve some boredom and frustration. We now have the time to be quiet, to read, to write, to pray, to make art; yet, we find it hard to seize the opportunities. Fortunately, many people are able to work from their home using modern technology. A large portion of the working force has lost the ability to work and earn incomes. We pray that this crisis is short lived and that people will be economically restored quickly. Another great concern is not being able to physically check on loved ones and friends. We are blessed to have the technology that allows us to stay in touch quickly and easily, although it does not replace one-on-one personal contact.

Much of our population is too young to remember the yesteryears when life was slower, and we knew the skills and habits learned from our parents and their parents before them. Maybe during this time, we can reach back and revive our ability to be happy with the blessings we have and be able to enjoy the gifts, talents, and skills that we have neglected using.

Karen and I have owned home-based businesses for many years, so this new reality hasn’t been hard for us to embrace. We both love to read and write and to share our passions with our Faith On Every Corner readers each month. In the past few weeks, we have become comfortable with online shopping for groceries and picking them up with minimal exposure. Our

It is our prayer that you and your families are safe during this season of unease. Karen and I have a favorite Bible verse that is appropriate here:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Today is “Good Friday,” the day that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried. But “Easter” Sunday is coming, and we will celebrate His rising from the dead. Through His sacrifice, we who believe and follow Him have had our sins washed clean. This salvation is also available to all who believe that God is the Creator, hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, confess and repent of their sins, believe in and follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you have not yet been saved and would like to know more, please drop us a note at faithoneverycorner@gmail.com

I’ll leave you with another of our favorite verses:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 (NIV)

God bless you all and keep you safe and well!