China and Viruses

Here is where we are told the coronavirus started, in a market in Mid-China, about 605 miles from the orphanage Madison spent a year of her life waiting at.  It's about a ten-and-a-half hour drive, which is pretty much the distance from here to Washington DC.  Though the flu has infected and killed more people by far, this new virus is spreading quickly and also infecting the world with a sense of fear.  It's a healthy respect for what could be a very dangerous situation, so there are governments acting appropriately:  China is under lock-down, to the point that even their Chinese New Year celebrations were cancelled.  That just shows you how enormous of a situation this really is.  We're not worried here in the States yet, although six people here have the virus and are under quarantine.  This week, a letter went out to parents of Forsyth County school kids, letting them know if they've been to China, it's okay to stay at home for a few weeks - it won't be counted against students who have been to China recently.  Work can be done from home.

It's a tricky situation.  While that's certainly comforting for those who have come from China to know this, it also points a finger at those who have Chinese decent.  Like Madison.  Hopefully nothing more will come from this, and folks will have a bit of common sense as we continue forward.  But as we already know from previous experience, there is sometimes an underlying evil lurking in this county:  it's racism, to put it bluntly.   There's a virus for you.  It sickens people, and it spreads from generation to generation, doing probably far more damage than this current coronavirus ever could.

And it's something we'd never think we'd be experiencing in this day and age, but yeah, it has happened before.  We're not expecting it to happen again, but sometimes people aren't all that bright or educated, and they're sadly quite willing to show off their lack of education.  We're praying against this sort of virus, and against the other as well, as it quickly transmits from one small marketplace to the entire globe.

Okay, so changing the subject, Madison started her unit test in math today and got really far on it:  she's only got three questions left, and all the students get to work on this test on Friday too.  That said, she's in great shape, she feels.  She studied quite a bit for it, and is pretty confident in how she did.  But tonight, she didn't have to study as much, as tomorrow she's going on a field trip to the High Museum.  Still, she did study a little, and also did some other work for school with sentence structures, which she feels a little better about now.  She also took a bath, and did some piano practice.  She's looking up new songs that she can play as well, looking for music sheets.

Daddy and Mommy were working at Kidpak today, developing the message for the night and doing quite a bit of office renovations.  It is looking great now, although we have a bit to go before things are done just right.  Mommy is such an expert with organization, fixing up the area and making things look so much better.

One funny moment at work came when we brought a thermometer down to the office where Daddy works.  We've been complaining about the cold here in this office for years.  The air conditioning starts right next to Daddy's office, and then spreads to the whole building from there.  Evidently there's a leak somewhere, and not enough air conditioning gets elsewhere, and then the system overcompensates and sends more air conditioning... and the end result is that all KidPak staff are used to wearing jackets, warm hats, and yes, frequently blankets.  What was the temperature?  Today it seemed warmer, but officially it was recorded as 58 degrees!

No wonder tonight's message in small groups had to do with the coal car of the train, and "keeping the fire going."  Of course, we're talking about a passion for God, and how that fuels us down the tracks towards the plans He has for us.  It was a fun train-themed message tonight, as we approach the station for one or two last train messages.  It's been a good series!

Daddy got home in time tonight to do some reading, of course "Thrawn," and also our train themed devotional.  We prayed and went to bed shortly after that, and why don't we end this entry here with a devotional about trains, and one in particular that Daddy rode on himself, a long time ago.

I was going through a suitcase filled with brochures of places I've been, stacks of postcards and books of all these wonderful memorable vacations out west.  I miss those old places.  I even found a couple of train tickets, and post cards that my grandfather - Ye-Ye's father - wrote to us from these same destinations.  We all traveled out there frequently, and there's a lot of wonder to see.  But some of my favorite memories growing up were all on a train, like the Silverton and Durango Narrow Gauge.

********

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” Matthew 7:13 NIRV

     By 1882, the legendary Durango and Silverton Railway was completed, a line constructed mainly to carry gold and silver ores from mines in the San Juan Mountains. But from the very beginning, everyone knew it was an incredibly scenic route – and although this train was designed to haul precious metal ores, it didn’t take long for people to want to ride along on it in order to catch the view.

     Because of the steep canyons and mountainous terrain, this railroad is what is called a narrow gauge. The gauge is the distance between the two rails, and this train had a much smaller width than others. Any wider and it couldn’t find its way through the beautiful landscape. There are some tight squeezes!
     Though it’s different, narrow isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Jesus told us some time ago that the righteous follow a straight and narrow path. Those in Durango would tend to agree, though Jesus wasn’t talking about a narrow gauge railroad.
He was simply saying that fewer folks would choose to follow him, because the path just seemed a little more difficult.
     There’s no question that the Narrow Gauge Railway to Silverton is a little more difficult: it sure is an adventurous trip! But anyone who has ever traveled along it can tell you that it is one straight and narrow that is worth every moment along the way.
     Jesus would say the same thing about our straight and narrow too. Life with him is certainly the better path to go, filled with beauty and wonder all along the route less traveled.