Humanity has many courageous people who are willing to sacrifice the ultimate, their life for the benefit of others. When we think about these courageous individuals, the first thought that comes to mind is of the soldiers who go off to battle not knowing whether they will survive. In Psalm 23, King David wrote about the idea of being strong and having courage. David wrote, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” There are times in life when we feel as though we are walking through the darkest valley of our lives. These are the times when we need to remain strong and with courage.
September 11, 2001 will remain a dark time in the history of our country. It was the day terrorists hijacked four planes deliberately flying them into the former World Trade Center Twin Towers and the Pentagon with one crashing in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed that horrible day.
Todd Beamer, a passenger on the flight that crashed in Shanksville, PA, dialed zero and spoke with a telephone-switchboard operator for several minutes before the plane crashed. It has been reported that during the conversation, Todd recited Psalm 23 and asked the operator to pray with him. While no one may know exactly what happened on that plane that day, there is no doubt that Todd and many of his fellow passengers were extremely brave and courageous in a terrifying and dire situation.
Today we are experiencing a new horror across the globe with the resurgence of the pandemic. This terror is a Covid-19 virus that has mutated and is now the new delta virus. It is reported to be more contagious than Covid-19 and it is causing fear and deep concerns among many. The CDC cautions everyone to take extra precautions to avoid catching the virus and says that people who are vaccinated have a greater chance of not dying if they catch the virus.
However, all of us must be strong and of good courage and like David, depend on God to rid the world of the deadly virus. Now is not the time to quit or give up or let your guard down to this virus; but rather, be strong and of good courage and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!

By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net