money – money – money – money

Everywhere – it’s everywhere. Talk, talk, talk… the economy, jobs, bailouts, recession, buyouts, loans, failures, credit, money, money, money.  My husband’s in the swimmingpool business. In the Pacific Northwest.  We know about the downturn.  Got the memo this past summer – it wasn’t really a banner year.  But you know… this country’s been in a free fall for years – we just had enough plastic to cushion the fall — or so it seemed.  The free fall has been happening and it seems America was just at the beach admiring the view, sitting under broad-brimmed hats, wearing rose coloured shades and sipping lemonade…

I was browsing the news a little bit ago and saw the reports on Washington Mutual... and then, this one .  It’s a familiar name and sensitive topic around our family — our son has worked for WaMu in Seattle for several years – has had a good job with them.  I wonder what he’s thinking right about now.  We had a delightful birthday dinner with extended family the other night and one of our cousins (also employed by WaMu) was talking over the media hype that’s led to the current debacle.  Now, I know he was quick to say that all the bad paper was also a factor – but he believed that the bad press had led to unprecedented stock spiral and demise of the bank.

As much as I’m sort of dreading the impending financial loss and chaos in this country, I sure pray the “powers that be” or the USgovernment takes a long hard look at plunging the country in a deeper quagmire  of unending debt by pretending there’s more money to use.  So all the news… and I didn’t even mention his name or his or hers.

My-o-my, these are sure interesting days!  I know my thinking is greatly influenced by the precious Word – as we’ve been reading through Daniel, Hosea and now, Joel.    Because of the reliability of the Word, the comfort of the Holy Spirit and faith in God, in the midst of all this “uncertainty” and failure, I have hope in the Lord.  These days have been prophesied and just like the debt that’s increased and lingered seemingly without consequence, so also has sin been increasing and abounding more and more – seemingly without consequence.   But God will not be mocked and sin cannot go unchecked.  Men and women who have rejected God and mocked His Word may now, in times of great uncertainty, be led to fall before the Living God.  These times are in the Hand of the Lord.  I marvel, I truly marvel and cannot believe we’re living in this nation at this time in history — that we’re alive in this time in history – His-story!!   O, that Christians would unite in prayer for this nation to turn to the Lord, to turn their hearts to the Lord.