The human spirit is resilient and hopeful. In the course of history, men and women have continued to live, in spite of adversity, in spite of those who would steal their freedom, and mostly, in spite of the times in which they find themselves. Here in the United States, many people have suffered the consequences of the greed of others: evil men who think only of themselves and their own hoarding and luxuries. Now, there is nothing wrong with hoarding, in terms of saving pennies in a penny bank (for a rainy day), or saving pieces of fabric to do something with … sometime. Luxuries such as cruises, or a nice house, or car, are not evil, in and of themselves, IF you have personally earned the money to pay for them, and have not ripped off the public to live in grand style.

About fifteen years ago, I began to understand what evil meant on the corporate level. A hardworking man I knew was “let go” within a very short time of his retirement. He had always been on the road, as a drug salesman, and he and his wife lived frugal lives, giving money to their church. and more often than not, going without things they would have liked for themselves. Faced with no family income, with no warning, the couple was forced to sell what they could of their belongings and move in with their daughter in another state. The company had cheated him out of a future that promised predictable income in his retirement years.

Today, that is a daily occurrence, and for the greed of corporate America, taxpayers are expected to dig deeper, to bite their tongues, and to go along with these so-called “bailouts.” What if? What if we didn’t? What then? I’d like to know.

Just this week, someone I know told me that the money that she and her husband had left in the hands of professional financial advisers had lost $100,000. within a year. How did that happen? They were paying a lot, I mean A LOT of money for someone else to handle their “portfolio.” I suspect that their dilemma is the tip of the iceberg. How many days of work; how many years does that kind of money represent? It not fathomable to me. We are not talking wheeler-dealer types here but a family who simply wants to be able to pay for their childrens’ education. Both parents work, and now they can’t predict when or if retirement will even be a possibility.

I could go on with the horror stories. Everyone whom I know personally, has “something” going on. Either they are suffering from a terminal illness or have a seriously-ill relative. Either they have lost their employment, or are trying to sell personal belongings – to no avail, in this economy. Everyone is hurting. What is important to remember is that the good times will roll around again. The human spirit has the capability of endurance. Yes, those who are dying shall die. Those who are living will find a way to be more resourceful, to cut back on unnecessary spending, and to help each other, emotionally and financially, to get through this financial crisis, as well as any personal traumas.

As always, there is a bigger picture. We can “live in the moment” only for as long as the moment is here. Live goes on. If you look at the human race, over time, you will see that men have lived in caves, and on the hillsides of mountains with inhospitable terrains. The homeless have lived in the streets, warming themselves by the fires set in trash cans, and sleeping under newspapers in an alley. People have lived through all manner of natural disasters including monsoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Man has lived through wars. They have suffered the insecurity and debasement of being driven from their homes (as when the Native Americans were forced to relocate in Oklahoma and were marched from Georgia, many dying along the wayside). Minority groups have been showered with lethal poisons. Israelis continue to be mortared until their children are dead or severely-injured. Often, it is not a pretty world. For reasons of their own, some people make the world ugly through hate and violence.

Whether we live or die is inconsequential, as all must die, eventually. Between now and then, embrace the idea of prosperity. If you have items that you save for best, like a special tablecloth, use it. You are worth it! If you can afford to buy yourself a rose or a carnation, do so. If held up to your nose, one flower will impart as much fragrance as a dozen. Keep your belongings in good shape by being clean and neat. Engage in good health practices to remain as healthy as you can be. There is a lot to be said for homemade soup! The main thing not to do is to worry.

Some of my favorite quotations come from the Holy Scriptures. With the images of flowers and birds in my head, I will share them: “The lilies of the field neither sow nor toil, yet Solomon in his glory is not so adorned as these,” and “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.” Faith in a being who is greater than ourselves will brighten our spirits. Prosper and Be Glad!

Try some of our delicious, nutritious .

Make today a good day! “,” performed by James Gorham.

Patricia Cummings

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 1st, 2009 at 2:16 pm and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.