And Don't You Forget That Time, it Trucks On

Living on Borrowed Time (Note : this was started at the end of 2018)

The phrase 'living on borrowed time' popped into my mind. I have always thought that the saying was meant for someone who'd cheated death somehow; someone who understands they should not be among the living, but, miraculously perhaps, still is. I never thought it pertained to me. Until this morning, that is. 

New Year's Day approaches and the end of an old year always makes one think of the passage of time. Once-upon-a-time, the hours made audible their persistent movement to the masses, but are now silent, for the most part, thanks to digital clocks and watches.That inexorable flow, that tide that no man can stop, passes with a whisper rather than a tic-toc. A fact that is sometimes easy to overlook; but at this time of the year (and a bit earlier for those of other than secular or Christian faiths) we tend to recall how swiftly it does pass.

The Indiana Progress,  September 1886 edition offered this quote: "We may be care-worn and aged, forsaken of the world, living on borrowed time, useless so far as any activity is concerned, dependent on children, or friends; yet Jesus has loving acquaintance with us." 

What does it mean, then, to be living on borrowed time? 

 And I re-read this on an evening in which I've just learned of the Mandela Effect via The Open Scroll in which the disturbance of time is spoken of and the coming reset is near. Borrowed time, indeed!

UPDATE - to this heretofore unpublished post:

Now it is March, 2020 and I think the phrase "stuff happens" means much less than it used to.
We are in the midst of a viral pandemic now - this entire world - and it is truly a scary time to be raising a family. I have already raised mine and have grandchildren who are now at home instead of attending school, not able to go play with friends or go to the toy store with Mom for a treat. No one is going to a restaurant to eat (but we can still order take-out), so Mom isn't getting that weekly break from cooking. Maybe more kids will be learning how to cook and help clean? One can only hope that is only a couple of positive outcomes of this Shelter-in-Place paradigm shift.

It now truly seems that we are all living on borrowed time, in a sense. Although they say half the population will sooner or later be infected with the Novel Corona Virus of 2019, only a small portion (20%) will become ill enough for medical intervention. The other 80% will have no, mild or moderate symptoms and will be recovered in a week or so. Of the hospitalized, the majority will survive - that is, unless our hospitals are overwhelmed and cannot care for the sick in the normal way. That is why we MUST observe the CDC guidelines
 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
In case you don't know, the top things to do is :

Take steps to protect yourself

Clean your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Stay at home and disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, and other frequently touched areas using one of these or something else labeled as a disinfectant:

To disinfect:
Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work. Use disinfectants appropriate for the surface.

Options include:

• Diluting your household bleach.
  To make a bleach solution, mix:
  • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water
    OR
  • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
  Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
• Alcohol solutions.Ensure solution has at least 70% alcohol.

I got this info from the CDC ( www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html )

Everyone please stay as healthy and safe from this as you possibly can so we can all continue to live on borrowed time. 

And remember to thank God often for all the blessings we have and for the promise of life eternal with Him after we leave this life on earth. Keep the faith, be kind, love one another. 

Update: Still here! Still thankful! Losses have been more than a few but less than a lot, so prayerfully hoping that 2021 will be even less sad than 2020 was. Keep everyone who is working so hard to help the sick in your prayers. Continue to remember that staying apart and stopping the spread of germs that can hurt others so terribly is a small sacrifice that is temporary. We all carry germs which cannot be detected until they cause illness, be they a Corona virus, a stomach virus, or the common cold, we can all do our best to avoid spreading our germy hitchhikers to others; it's simple really -

 Wash hands, cover coughs and sneezes, stay far enough away from others to prevent germs from being inadvertently inhaled or ingested by yourself and others. Wear a mask if you might get too close to others who may not realize they are carriers. Avoid being in close quarters with many people for more than a few minutes at a time. 

Stay safe, stay as healthy as you can. And may God bless everyone.