journeys-page

“Are we there yet?” Remember those childhood drives to relatives far away? Four, five, ten-hour treks in the car with Mom and Dad in the front with the kids in the back. Our old station wagon was retrofitted with two long clothe covered foam pads that fit snuggly in the back when you laid the seat down. Us three Karges boys staked out our territory back there with books, toys, and coloring books amidst the luggage until we got bored and decided to raid our brother’s space just for the fun of it. “Are we there yet?” That is where we are with this COVID/Pandemic/Plague. It is winding down in many areas. But it is not quite over yet. Different variants are spiking, especially in areas where not many folks have been vaccinated. In Hall County, we are somewhere around 40% vaccinated. “Are we there yet?”  “No, it’s not very far. Can you hold on just a little while longer?” Looks like holding on may mean wearing masks in indoor public places for a little while longer, just in case. Holding on, may mean seeing if there is a spike in new cases after family Fourth of July gatherings (cross your fingers, knock on wood). This Fourth of July, as we enter the second half of summer, we are desperate to be together.  We have been deprived of the social contact we need to be human for far too long and we can see the end of this pandemic nightmare on the far horizon. May God grant each of us a safe and non-contagious weekend. May God give us the spiritual stamina to do what we need to do to get to the other side of this plague. May God help us to soak in the joy of the fireworks, watermelon, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad that go along with gathering with friends and family to celebrate our nation’s annual birthday. Grace & Peace, Rev. Kelly Karges P.S. Pastor Anny Kapundu will start her new appointment as Trinity’s Associate Pastor here in July. We will pray over her new beginning on the weekend of July 10/11.