The headline read,” ‘An event canceled is better than a life canceled,’ WHO chief warns ahead of holiday season.”
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus went on to say, “It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later.”
I understand the sentiment and I know what he meant by it.
It’s not lost on any of us that there is a virus in the air that has a deadly potential.
None of us want to be careless or irresponsible when it comes to our health or the health of a loved one.
But just in case anyone out there is wrestling with the decision on whether to take a chance on spreading or receiving COVID unawares, I’d like to offer a few reasons why “Cancel now and celebrate later”, might not necessarily be best.
1. There Is More To Life
I wrote a whole blog on this last year. So I’ll keep this short and sweet. We’ve got to stop believing that there is no physical, mental, emotional or spiritual need greater than avoiding COVID. Yes, it’s important, but there are a million and one other important things and needs and people in life that deserve attention and care. We have needs, those around us have needs, and we can’t meet them by being tunnel visioned to one need of so many. We can’t become blind to the necessity of human contact and connection. We don’t do well alone, and we were never meant to. We are affected in every way when we lack fellowship.
Family and friends are some of the sweetest blessings we know on the earth.
And especially as Christians, gathering is not just a good idea, it’s essential. Does it feel like the world’s ending some days? All the more reason to be together, to encourage one another:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
But as I said, I won’t repeat what I’ve already said. Here’s the link if you’re interested:
“Staying Safe” No Matter The Cost
2. Tomorrow Isn’t Guaranteed
“It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later.” Going back to the sentiment of the Director of the World Health Organization…
Consider this: You might have the chance to celebrate later if you cancel now…
And you might not.
Saying that you can celebrate later is stepping dangerously close to taking tomorrow and your loved ones for granted.
My brother suffered a stroke five days after his 30th birthday in April of 2020. As he lay alone in a hospital bed in the thick of shutdowns and quarantines, I promised myself that if he lived, the next time I saw him, I would give him the biggest hug of his life. By God’s grace, he slipped into a very small percentage of those who suffer strokes and not only live but don’t suffer any long term damage. Still, the next couple times I saw him, I had to be gentle as he was in the midst of the healing process. By Christmas he was well on the mend and COVID or no COVID, you better believe I nearly hugged the life out of that boy. I learned that tomorrow wasn’t promised, and I couldn’t allow the fear of one possible danger to steal the joy of the here and now.
I spent a wonderful week with my sweet but feisty grandfather back in the summer of 2018. Being that we were half a country apart, pregnancy and a new baby kept me from being able to visit him in 2019.
2020 rolled around and in very early March, my mom and I booked tickets to go see him so he could meet his newest great grand child. As you can imagine, lockdowns came shortly after and we were unable to take our trip. We rescheduled for months later and still were unable to visit him. He lived in an elderly community and he was confined to lockdown on campus for much of that year, often unable to have visitors.
Christmas of 2020 rolled around, and although my grandfather had followed the rules like a champ, not wanting to be a danger to anyone around him, he decided he was going to get in his car and drive over to his daughters house the next town over. He knew he was taking a risk, but he also knew he needed to be with the people he loved.
And I’m so glad he did.
He passed away two months later. And it wasn’t COVID that took him.
It makes me sad to think of the memories I didn’t get to have with him that year due to lockdowns and regulations and mandates. But it makes me incredibly happy to know that he didn’t listen to the media screaming at him that Christmas to stay away and stay safe.
If he’d done that, he would have spent his last Christmas alone.
Instead, he chose (unbeknownst to him) to spend his last Christmas with the ones he loved.
I think there’s a lesson to be learned here. There are many things besides COVID that could take our tomorrow, that could take our loved ones. Don’t take either for granted and assume there will be another day to celebrate.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Psalm 27:1)
3. Living Is More Than Surviving
Just because you survived a day doesn’t necessarily mean you lived it well.
Now, sometimes we’re put in a position by life’s circumstances where we have to go into survival mode and we have no choice. We all have those times. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But be careful not to put yourself there, unnecessarily.
Sending yourself into survival mode by spending each day avoiding what you fear most is no way to live.
If you are choosing the ability to “survive” over the opportunity to truly live and enjoy God’s blessings of family, friends, and companionship, I would beg you to think again.
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
Ok, That’s All
Let me wrap things up here. Unless you have a real reason to think you might be a threat (AKA you’re sick or knowingly exposed), perhaps take the time to consider what you’re risking by pulling away and cancelling Christmas.
Maybe don’t pull away. Maybe don’t cancel.
Go see Grandpa. Go see Grandma. Go see your parents and your children and your aunts and your uncles and your cousins and your friends.
Go see them and celebrate big.
Eat lots, laugh lots, sing lots, and enjoy every single moment.
Make memories, share memories, and be thankful you can.
You see, whether due to COVID or a million other tragedies that take a life every single hour of the day, you aren’t promised tomorrow with those you love.
When you hear, “It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later” remember that later may or may not come.
Today is a gift. Your family is a gift. In sickness and health, in joy and tragedy, in certainty and in the fear of the unknown.
It’s a gift. Don’t waste it.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17)
My Family Freedom 