...it started with the downgrading of the US debt standing from AAA to AA+. I don’t know what that means. They (talking heads) tell me it means the US government is less credit worthy than before. The Dow plunged 634 points Monday, soared 429 points Tuesday, and dove 519 points Wednesday. It's the first time the Dow has ever had four straight 400-point days and up 423 points Thursday.
Typically folks in the stock market run to Treasury Bills for security but with the down grade they are not as safe as before. Not-so-fast, it seems downgraded Treasury -bills they were safer than the stock market. Hummm maybe things are not all of what they seem?
Take for instance your 401K retirement plan. It’s not looking all that good this week most likely. All of this volatility has hit the value (or at least the wall street value) of many companies and your retirement account. Maybe the washer went on strike this week at your house and the value of the replacement part has skyrocketed out of sight. Maybe we should invest in household replacement parts instead. They seem to be gaining value just sitting on the shelf. Apple may soon replace Exon-Mobile as the most valuable company in the world. Really? Entertainment and consumer electronics are more valuable than energy. They take energy to run. It’s been a funny week.
This past week I studied and spoke about the spiritual gift of peace. I guess that was in preparation for all of the chaos or as one man puts it “confusion” that would go on this week. Not to mention all of the personal chaos in relationships, families, addictions, health and famines across the world. Every time I saw and heard a story about people in Somalia my heart hurt for them and their situation and my utter helplessness to resolve it. The “confusion” for them is on a massive scale (430,000 in a refugee camp built for 40,000). No food because there has been no rain for 3 years and no central government for almost 30 years. One woman walking 17 days with her children to get to the camp and along the way two of her children died. I cannot imagine that. What can I do? It’s a funny feeling adding to a funny week!
Out of the blue (not really) came this thought process. What would solve the famine? Food of course dummy was my answer! But I have not enough food for all those people. An established solid government would help as well. That’s not something I can do. Then came…Rain. Rain I thought I can’t do that but I know who can! I can pray for rain for Somalia. I can do that! When we find ourselves without peace over whelmed with life and its complexities Paul wrote our solution to the Philippian church.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
So, I am praying for rain for Somalia and thanking God for all he has done. Funny how we can get all caught up in one thing and never see the more important issue. The stock market is one thing but starving people are another. Our personal confusion is hard but hunger is harder. Funny how God does that, reveals his word before we need it, then causes us to use it how we never expected it. What seems so pressing is not so pressing at all. Wise investors are hanging on counting on their long term goal and strategy. Sounds like faith to me! What is your long term strategy and who are you counting on? It’s been a strange week…but peaceful too.
He will make it rain in Somalia.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
It's Friday or at least it was....
Some years ago Loverboy had a hit song titled Everybody’s Working for the Weekend. This week the school schedule made that easier as we started on Thursday and then came Friday. The weekend is upon us. What we have been working for right? That is a funny thing about us. We never seem to be content. When we are children we are always eager to be the next year in age never mind that our 5th birthday was yesterday when asked we will soon be 6. As a teenager, we can’t wait to be an adult. We are “too mature” for that. When an adult we can’t wait to be married and when married to be a parent and so on and so on. We are just never content! What is so much better about what’s coming than where we are?
This same attitude exists for what should have been. A child that has been held back a year for any reason always insists they should be a ___ grader not where they are. Never mind their maturity, health or anything else. “I could have been” or “I should have been” are common phrases. What about where we are? Are we living to the fullest extent each day? Living every moment in such a way that at the end of the day as we lay in bed there are no regrets?
I am not suggesting that there should be no balance between today and future days. There needs to be planning and preparation for future goals and objectives. But they are just that FUTURE goals and objectives. How much life today are we missing focused on the future tomorrow? Working for the weekend on Monday discounts the living for Monday-Friday. What about the blessings of each day, the opportunities for growth and progress for love and grace that each day offers in and of itself? Jesus said for us not to worry about tomorrow for today has enough problems. The Israelites of the exodus were provided by God food called manna on a daily basis with the exception of the Sabbath. On the Sabbath preparation day they could gather two days of food so as to rest and not work on the Sabbath. If they gathered too much the manna would spoil. No stockpiled shelves with food in the cupboard. Of course they were nomadic and had no cupboard. They were dependent on God to provide every single day for their existence.
I see this as an example of grace and how it works in our lives. “For it is by grace through faith you have been saved.” There is enough grace for today and tomorrow there will be enough for tomorrow. Our very lives depend upon grace for our rescue in eternity but today as well. This makes for day to day living one moment at a time dependent on God to provide everything, depending on God for our very lives.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:1-2a NIV 1984
We live by a plan of God’s design and purpose not ours. God’s is not working for the weekend. He needs no rest, no sleep. I suggest we work each day to live the fullest life possible in Christ allowing us to fall into slumber nightly or for eternity with no regrets. We cannot ask “what if I had given everything?” because we know we have!
This same attitude exists for what should have been. A child that has been held back a year for any reason always insists they should be a ___ grader not where they are. Never mind their maturity, health or anything else. “I could have been” or “I should have been” are common phrases. What about where we are? Are we living to the fullest extent each day? Living every moment in such a way that at the end of the day as we lay in bed there are no regrets?
I am not suggesting that there should be no balance between today and future days. There needs to be planning and preparation for future goals and objectives. But they are just that FUTURE goals and objectives. How much life today are we missing focused on the future tomorrow? Working for the weekend on Monday discounts the living for Monday-Friday. What about the blessings of each day, the opportunities for growth and progress for love and grace that each day offers in and of itself? Jesus said for us not to worry about tomorrow for today has enough problems. The Israelites of the exodus were provided by God food called manna on a daily basis with the exception of the Sabbath. On the Sabbath preparation day they could gather two days of food so as to rest and not work on the Sabbath. If they gathered too much the manna would spoil. No stockpiled shelves with food in the cupboard. Of course they were nomadic and had no cupboard. They were dependent on God to provide every single day for their existence.
I see this as an example of grace and how it works in our lives. “For it is by grace through faith you have been saved.” There is enough grace for today and tomorrow there will be enough for tomorrow. Our very lives depend upon grace for our rescue in eternity but today as well. This makes for day to day living one moment at a time dependent on God to provide everything, depending on God for our very lives.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:1-2a NIV 1984
We live by a plan of God’s design and purpose not ours. God’s is not working for the weekend. He needs no rest, no sleep. I suggest we work each day to live the fullest life possible in Christ allowing us to fall into slumber nightly or for eternity with no regrets. We cannot ask “what if I had given everything?” because we know we have!
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