As a young child, my parents drove our family to Florida every couple of years to visit my grandparents. They would haul us out of bed at about 3:00 am so we would “sleep” most of the morning on the trip. That never happened! Then we would say the inevitable phrase, “Mom, are we there yet?” only to find out we hadn’t even crossed the Illinois border yet.

As we enter into our 18th month of the pandemic, I want to ask the same question, “Are we there yet?” As dean of the East Conference of pastors, I received a letter from our bishop yesterday reminding us to be diligent in our dealing with COVID protocol. So, I am here to do the same. To remind us we aren’t out of the wood yet, in fact yesterday, Illinois had the highest daily new case count in months. As the weather gets cooler, we will be spending more time indoors which doesn’t help the spread of the virus.

I’m tired… you’re tired… we want this to be over. But the only way that can happen is if we don’t give up the fight. If you haven’t been vaccinated, PLEASE do so. You aren’t just saving your own life, but the lives others. Wear you mask. I know they are uncomfortable, but they are proven to work. Maintain social distancing. Wash your hands. At Peace we are following the recommendations of the CDC and IDPH and masks must be worn at all times while in the building.

So, to answer the question, “Are we there yet?”… not yet… but the end is in sight! Thank you for your compliance and patience as we work together to get there.

See you Sunday!