Only A Child

From Oswald Chambers book of daily devotions, ´My Utmost for His Highest´, “Do not fret…it only causes harm.” Psalm 37:8 – Fretting means getting ourselves out of joint mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say do not fret, but something very different to possess such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. It is easy to say, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” 37:7 until our world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and anxiety like so many other people. Is it possible to rest in the Lord then? If this ‘do not fret’ does not work there, then it will not work anywhere. This ‘do not fret’ must work during the days of difficulty and uncertainty, as well as during the peaceful days...Resting in the Lord does not depend on your external circumstances at all, but rather, on your relationship with God Himself. Oswald Chambers--- I mentioned in the recent ‘prayer and fasting’ post that, for many years now, I have begun my days spending 45 minutes to an hour of quiet time, in communion with God. This discipline has strengthened and encouraged me and guided me in ways which have seen me through many a difficult time in Guatemala. It continues to do so now, when faced with, what is for many of us, the biggest challenge of our lives.

Today, Tuesday, Guatemalan enters into its 3rd week of informal lock down. Over the weekend, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei extended the original March 31st deadline to April 12th, so we appear to be taking things 2 weeks at a time. The 4 PM curfew has also been extended and that presents the bigger challenge. Those of you from my native New England or, other northern regions of the U.S., are likely accustomed to voluntarily settling in at home early evening, on cold and dark winter nights. It seems wise and even appropriate. Home is warm and cozy – the logical, more comfortable choice, given the alternative outside your door. April in Guatemala, however, in no way encourages being house bound, come late-afternoon. The promise of spring is manifest. Dusk arrives just after 6 PM. The average high temperature in the city reaches the low-to-mid 80s and it in no way feels natural to be confined to your home so early in the day. But the government means business. Police patrols begin to give warning at 3:30 in the afternoon. Pick up trucks patrol the streets with their sirens blaring in brief, sharp bursts, giving off an eerie threat, sounding as if Guatemala has contracted an extraterrestrial security force to manage the situation. This only adds to one’s understanding that all is not right, all is not well, compounding one’s anxiety, increasing one’s desire that things return to the way they once were - sooner rather than later. Even so, most people have cooperated with the curfew. But not all. According to press reports, on the first 3 nights of curfew, roughly 2,000 citizens were rounded up and jailed for not complying with the new ordinance. As difficult as being ‘in for the night’ at such an ungodly hour may be, it seems the far better option when compared to being imprisoned, 24 hours a day. (Below, top to bottom - 1. In for the night, garaged, at 3:45 PM. Leaving one's car on the street at night is unsafe, vulnerable to break in and theft. 2. The curfew hour).

Yesterday, Tuesday, we completed our 9th day of being house bound. The 4 PM curfew began on Sunday, so 3 days and counting. My departures from our home are limited to occasional banking, grocery shopping, and quick runs to my apartment, which is only blocks away. I shopped 3 times last week and hope to become more efficient this week – just 2 trips to the grocer. I’d like to share what shopping is like here at my neighborhood store. It’s a local chain named ‘Paiz’. The stores are not large and, in terms of size, remind me of the A & Ps of my youth. They provide all the basics, a luxury during these times. You are greeted at the door by a no-nonsense security guard who asks why you have come (the store anchors a small mall and with the exception of a bank and pharmacy, all other businesses are closed). You’re turned away immediately if you are not wearing a mask. OAC residents' masks are courtesy of our in-house carpentry shop. Often times, one has to wait in line ouside the store, as the number of shoppers permitted to enter at one time is limited - to 50 to 75 customers, I’d guess. Once granted to permission to enter, you are greeted and given hand sanitizer. Last week there was also medical personel to take your temperature on the spot. Today there was no such presence. The store remains well stocked, with the exception of disinfectants, which are available, but in short supply. People generally keep to themselves and are focused on the task at hand, perhaps because they want to keep their time in public to a minimum, perhaps because they understand people are waiting outside. The aisles are narrow and one has to sometimes navigate shopping cart traffic, but people are always accommodating, courteous and friendly, gracious really – no sense of competition, rudeness not to be found. There are ample registers available, usually little or no wait. The women working the registers were left unprotected until recently, when they were shielded from customers with plexiglass partitions, equipped with a small slot at the base, available to make payment, as well as give change and receipts. I’m often tense while shopping and try to maximize efficiency of movement to minimize time spent out in public. All in all, I spend between 20 and 30 minutes at the store, and am relieved when the car is packed and I begin my journey home. P.S. - Please feel free to share these posts and respond not only to me but also to others who have responded. The goal is to create dialogue and a sense of being in this together during a time af isolation. George