A COVID-19 reality check

By Stephen Reeves

This is not the column I wanted to write. Perhaps things are not going as you hoped right now either.  

Stephen and Deborah Reeves with their children: Kellyn, Garrett and Landry

I was blessed with the gift of extra time off in the early months of my transition to executive director of Fellowship Southwest and while Marv is still serving as coordinator. The month of July was just about everything I could have hoped it would be. My family spent almost a week at the beach in Florida and celebrated three birthdays. We took advantage of our remaining time in Atlanta by going to the aquarium, a Braves game, camping in the pines, and a fireworks show on Main Street in Tucker outside our favorite, Matthews Cafeteria. We also managed to get a few things checked off our to do list as we prepare to sell our house, and Deborah and I spent a weekend together in her beloved North Carolina mountains.

I was still energized by our recent trip along the border and excited about getting back to work and increasing my FSW responsibilities. By the end of this time, I was rested and focused on the work ahead. I was also grateful that our two older kids would soon be back in school. Most of all, I was ready to get on the road to see friends and meet new folks. My Southwest Airlines app filled with a list of upcoming flights to FSW cities and churches. 

I’ve cancelled two flights so far and pray I don’t have to cancel more.

The Delta variant has reintroduced a fear and uncertainty that the hope of vaccines had begun to squash. Families, pastors, churches, and organizational leaders are having to once again decide if it is safe to gather in person and if our fall plans will proceed as hoped. Hospitals are again at max capacity, some more than ever before. Doctors, nurses, and medical staffs are exhausted, stressed and many are rightfully angry at vaccine refusal. Six weeks ago, I had no idea this is where we would be right now. 

My time away was supposed to serve as a bookend to our pandemic reality. Now I wonder if it was just halftime. 

This reality hit home when within a week of my daughter starting second grade our entire family tested positive for Covid. Fortunately, all three of our kids had mild symptoms and for less than 48 hours. My wife, mother-in-law and I were all vaccinated months ago. Our symptoms were all relatively mild, but we still felt bad for nearly three weeks. 

What we had feared for over sixteen months became our reality. We’re fortunate that it was not the worst-case scenario. So many others have not been so fortunate.

The difference between now and the spring of 2020, is that we have passed this way before. Uncertainty has been with us a while now. We know more now than we did then. We do more online and via Zoom. We have vaccines and they are already saving thousands if not millions of lives. We know masks really help. 

I know many of us are exhausted and on edge. As we move into the fall, let’s stay committed to putting the safety of the vulnerable first. Let’s be calm voices of reason among so much unhinged rhetoric. Truth matters. May we have the courage and wisdom to speak the truth and a perseverance that does not lose hope.