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e m p o w e r i n g pa r t n e r s
DREAM OR
NIGHTMARE
I
DENNIS R. CARLSON
had a dream that a friend gifted to his best friend the cost of an attorney to prepare a will. Both friends had families with children. The friend was very grateful, but he never contacted the attorney to create the will. The friend would encourage him to call the attorney, but he never did. Both friends were infected with COVID-19; unfortunately, the one without a will did not survive. I awoke in a sweat. This dream, unfortunately, is the reality for many Seventh-day Adventists
22
July – September 2021
around the world. By not making a plan while living, they are trusting their governments, families, or friends to plan for them after death. God gives an example of how to plan before there is a need, as seen in 2 Timothy 1:9. Before our world “began” God had a plan. Before there was need for a plan, God made provision for the rescue of humanity if they chose to disobey. COVID-19 Will it be two years before the world returns to the new normal? Portions of the global community are starting to
lift the restrictions that have been so unpopular, but we have learned to live with them. At the same time, other areas of the world are still being hit very hard by the pandemic. At present, 2 percent of the world population has contracted COVID-19. This number is conservative since, in many parts of the world, reliable diagnoses of COVID-19 are not available. We all have been affected by this pandemic in some way. Looking back to March 2020, we learned that something was not right with the world when stores did not have toilet paper, bleach, and hand sanitizer.
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