"Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses!"

I just got off the phone with my Dad and those were his exact words. All I could think to myself is, "ain't that the truth!"
Our economy is so uncertain these days that you can't help but wonder what is going to happen next. People all over America are anxious about losing their jobs and their homes. Many people are already facing those losses and they can't help but worry about their future. My Mom's company is going out of business, most of their jobs are being sent overseas and the company has filed bankruptcy. My Mom and her sister both work for the same company (different departments) but they will both be out of a job at the end of June. Of course my Mom is not happy about this but they are clinging to what they believe and that is that God is with us and He will never leave nor forsake us. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Yesterday I was in the Citrus Park area and couldn't help but notice all the businesses being closed down. It just really makes you start to wonder about the future when you see this happening around you. Everything really is up in the air right now and so there's got to be a whole lot of anxious people living in America. My friend and I were remembering how our grandmothers would insist that we were living in perilous times. Of course this was over twenty years ago when we were children but our grandmothers kept saying that we were living in the last days. It was scary then to think that way and it's scary now to see the economy the way it is. Paul Harvey once said, "In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these."

We just recently realized that a place by us closed down; it was a menspa and I made the mistake of purchasing a gift certificate for Greg for his birthday back in September. Greg never got around to using it (it's valid up to one year) so now the place is closed down and that money we spent went with them. I am not too happy about that. Greg said that he wasn't surprised that the menspa went out of business because he couldn't imagine how they would get a lot of customers, especially in times like these. He is right; people are more concerned about keeping their jobs and their homes and a majority of people are barely able to afford the basic necessity. However, some people are still doing fine even with the economy suffering.
We saw a couple pushing a cart with a huge flat screen TV. Obviously, not everyone is struggling. Life may not be a bed of roses but it is happening around us. Believe it or not, seeing the couple gave me a sense of hope. It reminded me that no matter how bad things may seem, there is always a glimmer of hope. You have to cling to that hope and keep believing that things will get better. My father ended our conversation with asking me to remember to constantly pray for them. You have to cling to hope and pray, not just for yourself but for family, friends, neighbors and the whole country. Prayer changes things and things definitely need changing in our devastated economy. Keep praying!