Bee Stings & Dog Bites

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” – Mark Twain

I still see them five years after the height of the Covid pandemic and two years after President Biden signed a House Joint Resolution declaring the national health emergency to be over. To whom am I referring? The people who drive around in their cars – alone – while wearing a facemask.

Now, I don’t want to get into a debate about the pros or cons of the Covid vaccine or the efficacy of social distancing, but I think most of us can agree that wearing a facemask while alone in a car, a room, or your own home is probably not necessary. And yet, there are some people who are so scared of the microscopic organism that causes the virus that they will take any and all precautions to prevent contracting the disease.

Likewise, some people will not fly or travel by train because they are afraid of crashes and derailments, even though statistically both of those means of transportation are safer than driving. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, you are far more likely to die in a car accident (1 in 95 people) than in a plane or train crash (too small a number to calculate).

Here are some other daily activities that the NSC says are far more “deadly” than the things we are generally more fearful of…

A preventable/unintentional injury – 1 in 19
An opioid overdose – 1 in 57
A fall – 1 in 91
Crossing a street – 1 in 471
Choking on food – 1 in 2,461
Riding a bicycle – 1 in 3,102
Taking a bath – 1 in 5,975

Meanwhile, the things we “freak out” over rarely if ever happen…

Being assaulted with a gun – 1 in 238
Being electrocuted – 1 in 14,383
Being killed in a severe storm – 1 in 39,192
Being killed by a bee, wasp, or hornet sting – 1 in 41,076
Being fatally attacked by a dog – 1 in 44,499
Dying in a flood – 1 in 109,535
Being killed by fireworks – too small to calculate

As you probably guessed. The leading causes of death for Americans are heart disease (1 in 6), cancer (1 in 7), and stroke (1 in 26). Tragically, suicide (1 in 87) also makes the Top 10.

The fact of the matter is that something or someone is going to get you. And so, my advice is simple: trust God and live life to its fullest. Don’t worry about yesterday, because you can’t change the past and don’t fret about tomorrow, because you might not live to see it. Instead, E-M-B-R-A-C-E today and live it for God’s glory with no regrets.

In the meantime, take off that silly mask and let me see your pretty (or handsome) face!

“Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment…” Hebrews 9:27 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President