Take Life One Day At A Time

Covid-19 began affecting the United States in late 2019 but grew into a global pandemic in January of 2020. As of this writing, we’re told that covid-19 has killed more than 300,000 in the United States, and about 1,700,000 in the world.

I gleaned the following numbers (for this year, 2020) from the internet: 37,000 have died in auto accidents; 40,000 died from influenza; 95,000 from excessive alcohol use; 25,000 murdered from guns; 480,000 died from tobacco use (including about 41,000 from secondhand smoke); 610,000 from heart disease; and 606,000 from cancer. As of July 28, 48,000 died from suicide, and 71,000 from drug overdoses. That is 2,312,000 deaths from only 10 causes ( including covid-19), and those numbers are still climbing. Covid-19 deaths amount to about 13% of that number.

However, according to the United Nations World Population Prospects report, 2,719,980 will die in the United States from all causes in 2020. Covid-19 might account for 12%.

I find it interesting that we talk about banning guns, shutting down businesses (suppressing the economy), and limiting social contact which are implicated in 325,000 deaths, but we have not banned tobacco or alcohol which kill 575,000 people annually. The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded after two crashes killed 346 people, but many politicians don’t want to do what it takes to limit the influx of drugs which are killing about 90,000 annually.

But there’s another side of the population chart. About 3,900,750 babies will be born in the U.S. this year. That is approximately 10,687 per day, with a net gain of about 1,180,770 people in the U.S. this year.

We have elections every two years — make that every four years for the president — and this year has been the wildest, most contested presidential election that I can remember. Was fraud involved? Yes, I believe it was. But I’ve heard about fraud and corruption in elections since I was a kid. That’s because not everyone is honest. Was this year’s fraud enough to swing the vote? I don’t know.

There’s been a question about whether the Republican party would offer a smooth transition of power. That reminds me of the vice- presidential debate. When Senator Harris asked Vice President Pence if they (Pence and Trump) would offer a smooth transition,

Pence truthfully responded that her party hasn’t offered a smooth transition for the past four years. Humans have fought over power from the beginning of the history of man.

That reminds me of the headlines on the Chicago Daily Tribune on Nov. 3, 1948, that proclaimed,

“DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN!” Although the Republican party was sure Thomas Dewey had won, he lost to Harry Truman in one of the greatest upsets in presidential election history. (I was only two years old at that time, but I read about it later.)

A lot more was going on in the world this year, but I can take negativity only in short bursts.

What about positivity? The online dictionary defines positivity as the practice of being positive, or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude. That defines my style.

Here’s a poem my Uncle Bert Hasbrouck wrote on Aug. 5, 1991.

I take life a day at a time,

That’s the way that it’s given to me.

Don’t make plans too far down the line,

Today’s good enough, don’t you see.

I may be here on the morrow,

And then again, I may not.

But my heart’s not filled with sorrow,

For life’s given me a lot.

For my Father’s in control,

And He’s been so good to me.

He gave His Son to save my soul;

His grace is sufficient for me.

So I take each day that He gives me,

And fill it to the brim

Until He comes to take me

To go and live with Him.

We face a New Year, and I don’t know what’s in store for us. Politicians either hurt or help America, and they either honor the Lord or they don’t. But they don’t run my life.

As in Uncle Bert’s poem, God is the master of my life and my focus is on Jesus Christ. Whatever happens, I’ll live for Him to the best of my ability and understanding.

If you are having a rough year for one or more reasons, I encourage you to turn to the Lord for help and comfort. He’s ready to listen, because — believe it or not — He cares for you.

Happy New Year, friends.