A Christ-follower with a limp: July 2022

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Thriving in the Twilight Years

“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” George Burns

When Angelyn Burk, a recently retired accountant, decided to crunch some numbers one evening last year, she made a stunning discovery: It would be cheaper for her and her husband to spend their retirement perpetually aboard cruise ships than to continue living on land. “This is how I want to retire,” Angelyn, 53, decided in that moment. “Life is too short.” She turned to her husband, Richard, and said: “We can do this. Let’s make cruise ships our home.” To her delight, he was onboard. They looked online and determined that, on average, they could string together voyages on various cruise ships for markedly less money than their collective cost of living on land. All they had to do was hop from ship to ship with some small breaks in between.

“We calculated that we can probably live reasonably well with about $100 a day together, with what we’ve saved up,” said Richard, 51, who retired as a computer programmer last month. “It’s like you’re at home,” Angelyn said. “We have a magnificent living room, an absolutely gorgeous dining room and a hot tub that never needs maintenance.” The Burks enjoy various activities offered onboard, including movie screenings, comedy performances and arts and crafts classes. As long as it remains financially feasible, the Burks intend to continue cruising — forever. “That would be our dream,” Richard said.

While it may be a “dream” for them, the Bible teaches it’d be a nightmare. It’s a self-absorbed existence that does little if anything for anyone else. Studies show that the healthiest mentally and physically seniors are those who live for others. Volunteering and being involved in others’ lives has many benefits for seniors. It’s good for your mental health. It keeps the brain active, which contributes to mental health. Meaningful and productive activities help you feel happier and have a positive outlook. It prevents loneliness and isolation. Feelings of loneliness and few interactions with others negatively impact a person’s health. Getting out into the community promotes socialization. Individuals who engage in volunteering experience less depression. It gives you a feeling of purpose. As we grow older, our sense of purpose can fade. Regaining a feeling of purpose through volunteering helps older adults feel recharged with a new zest for life. It helps you meet new friends. Life changes, such as moving to a new neighborhood or retiring, can make finding friends to spend time with difficult. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people. By working together towards the same mission, you build friendships with like-minded peers.

We are blessed with many godly senior saints at Grace who are committed to investing in God’s Kingdom and in the lives of others.

It’s the biblical model. For example, the nativity account is so much richer because of Simeon and Anna found in Luke 2. Simeon lived in Jerusalem. Anna lived in the Temple. Though aged, they were looking for the coming Messiah. The Bible is silent about Simeon's age, though it’s assumed he was elderly. Anna was over a hundred years old. Though up in years, they’re still serving in the Temple and looking for Christ to come.

Joshua was nearly 100 when he led Israel into the Promised Land. He lived to be 110 years old and loved, trusted, and obeyed the Lord wholeheartedly until his last breath. His faith-filled friend, Caleb, is another example of unwavering faith. At forty, he was one of twelve men chosen to spy out the land of promise. He and Joshua returned with a good report, but the other ten came back with a negative one. God only allowed Joshua and Caleb out of the twelve to enter the promised land. Four decades in the wilderness never diminished Caleb’s faith. Forty-five years of waiting hadn’t dimmed his zeal for the Lord or weakened his passion to claim new territory for God.

God’s plan is for every believer to age well. We won’t be mature until we’re like Jesus and we won’t be like Jesus until we open our eyes in glory. How can we age well? We must develop godly habits of trust, praise, and hope. A habit is developed by frequent repetition over a period of time. Some become habitual worriers or complainers. God’s plan is for us to grow in Christlikeness. Psalm 71 unpacks these three habits we must develop. It’s never too late to start, whether one is 10 or 100.

The habit of trust (71:3). The whole psalm is an affirmation of the psalmist’s trust in the Lord. Though the psalmist was struggling because he was in difficult circumstances, he was un-staggering in his faith. He knew whom he believed. Such faith stems from a knowledge of God. True knowledge dispels doubt and fear. Are you developing a habit of trusting God in the difficulties of your life?

The habit of praise (71:6). Most of us are naturally grumblers. God wants us to be people of praise. Even when difficult times come, He wants us to praise Him. The psalmist purposefully developed that habit.

How can we learn to praise God when trials come? The answer is, “by learning to trust Him.” Just as trust stems from knowing God, so praise stems from trusting God. One of the best ways to grow in praise in the present is to remember what God has already done for you in the past. We tend to forget His many benefits on our behalf and thus we fail in praise.

The habit of hope (71:14). Biblical hope is not “I hope so.” It’s certain because God is its object (71:5). It’s anchored to trust in God. Believers are to have a habit of hope built on the promises of God.

When the great missionary pioneer, Adoniram Judson, was suffering from fever in a wretched prison in Burma. A friend sent him a letter, asking, “Judson, how’s the outlook?” Judson replied, “The outlook is as bright as the promises of God.” God’s people must be those who hope in God.

Once when evangelist George Whitefield was complaining about the difficulties of ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad his work would soon be over and he’d depart this earth to be with Christ. The others admitted to having similar feelings – all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, “Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?” And that dear saint answered, “I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it's time to call me Home.”

Brother Tennant wasn’t “cruising” into heaven. He was going to go out on fire for Jesus. That’s the way that I want to go out! How about you?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.

Sunday, July 24, 2022

Loving children like Jesus does

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”
Henry Ward Beecher

His nickname was “Sparky.” For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade, every subject!. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, Algebra, and English. He didn’t do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school’s golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. There was a consolation match…he lost that too.

Throughout his youth, Sparky was awkward, socially. He wasn’t actually disliked by the other kids; no one really cared that much. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school. There’s no way to tell how he might have done at dating. Sparky never asked a girl to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down.

Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates…everyone knew it. So he rolled with it. Sparky had made up his mind early in life that if things were meant to work out they would. Otherwise, he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.

But there was one thing that was important to Sparky — drawing. He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook. You already know what happened – his cartoons were turned down. Despite this particular rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to become a professional artist. So, after completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork and the subject for a cartoon was suggested.

Sparky drew the proposed cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all of the other drawings he submitted. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios. He’d been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser.

So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography…in cartoons. He described his childhood self — a little boy loser and chronic underachiever.

His cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had such a lack of success in school and whose work was rejected again and again, was none other than the great Charles Schulz. He created the Peanuts comic strip and the little cartoon character whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in even kicking a football —Charlie Brown.

Through the years I’ve met a lot of “Charlie Browns.” It’s heartbreaking. You could be sitting next to an adult version of one at church or perhaps work with one, or live near one.

Early on I began ministering to children. As a junior higher, I would accompany a godly adult leader, Jim Pendley, along with other boys to assist with a Sunday school in a nearby low-income housing project.

Both Jane and I cut our teeth together in ministering to children. After college, Jane taught second grade. When we were married, we taught a pre-school Sunday school class together. One of the tykes from that class is now a pastor in Madison.

My heart is filled with many faces from over the years. Many of them were hurting children from horrible homes, who were true victims. In both LaCrosse and Danville, IL, I ministered in bus ministries where we picked up area children. Often the children had to get themselves up to get ready because Mom or Dad were still sleeping off the previous night’s “activities.” In those two churches, we had nearly a hundred children who rode the bus to church. Forty years later I’m still in contact with some of those trophies of God’s grace!

Our Vacation Bible School kicks off on August 1^st. Becca Mueller, the director of our VBS is praying for 50. Becca never does anything halfway. The team is trained and prepared and supplies have been ordered. Next Sunday we’ll have a prayer of dedication for them in our worship service. YOU though are a key part of this making an eternal impact. We need you to invite children that God has brought into your circle of influence.

Yet, there are some big hindrances in us reaching these children – social bigotry and lack of faith. I’ve watched it over the years. In fact, as a troubled teen after my Mom was killed, I became that teen that church parents instructed their kids to stay away from because I was a “bad kid.” Praise the Lord for a godly youth pastor, named Kent Richards, who reached out with Christ’s love to me.

Christian parents, please read the Bible for yourself. You can’t isolate or protect your children from all of the bad stuff and evil people out there. Instead, trust God and prayerfully use your kids as gospel bridges. If God can’t protect your children, what makes you believe that you’ll be able to?

Who should you look for? What kids should be on your radar? Who should you invite to your dinner table or to come over to play? Who should you invite to VBS or give a ride to church or a kids’ or teen program?

The quiet kid. This is the child you hardly know is there. They may have learning issues or a disability. Perhaps they’ve learned at home or at school that it’s safer to be quiet.

The unattractive kid. Maybe they're overweight or skinny. Body shaming happens at church and in church ministries too. It’s usually subtle but it’s there. In a world where attractiveness puts you on the A list, being average or less, or not meeting some societal standard of attractiveness can carry a high price.

The awkward kid. In a culture that’s sports-driven, heaven help the child with two left hands. They quickly know how few skills they have by the nicknames or that they’re always picked last when teams are chosen.

The misbehaving kid. Some children misbehave because of a disability. Everyone wants at least some acknowledgment and attention. They want their personhood.

Or, if you can’t get good attention, you’ll opt for bad attention. Frequently, children act out the drama of their home. Anger, tantrums, sullenness can be a way of coping with a poor home life. Alcohol and drugs can be an attempt at self-medication. Promiscuity is a cry for intimacy, love, and acceptance. Every child wants to be accepted and loved.

Often Christian parents keep their children away from children who come from troubled homes; divorce, addiction, sexual issues, etc., but those children are not contagious. The Bible speaks often about not judging a child because of the sins of the parents. It’s why it’s so important that we reach out to those who often fall in the cracks. It’s what Jesus did and it’s what He has called us to do. VBS is a great place to start! Will you reach out to the children God has brought across your path?

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Ministering to Single Moms in a Post Roe v. Wade World

“Biblical orthodoxy without compassion

is surely the ugliest thing in the world. ” Francis Schaeffer

Friday, June 24, 2022, will be a date long remembered as the nearly 50-year precedent of upholding abortion as a constitutional right in the United States was overturned. 50 years. That’s a long time. It was so long that most of us who are pro-life doubted that it would ever change.
Christ-followers have gotten what we prayed and worked for, but we will fail if this is the end. God has called us to so much more. Now we must walk the talk and show the love of Christ to those whom we claimed that we loved and cared about. The world is watching. Will we prove it now?
It is and never has been enough to be opposed to abortion. While it is vital to save a life, it’s more important to see a soul saved and come to Christ. The greatest need of everyone in this world is to trust the gospel and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Yet, 67% of single mothers do not go to a church of any kind. Sometimes they feel judged or inadequate. Either they became pregnant outside of marriage or are divorced. Many have a sense of shame and don't feel like they deserve or even want to be in church. Some are young and have no interaction with Christ-followers. Some have a distorted caricature of what a Christ-follower is of someone hateful, mean, bigoted, and out of touch. Sadly, some who profess to know Christ are like that.
67% is a heartbreaking number! Not only does that mean those moms aren’t being exposed to the gospel or mentored, but neither are their children. Single mothers are one of the most unrecognized, hurting groups in our culture. The vast majority have been thrust into a role they never intended to be in and often feel trapped in it. Frequently, they feel judged by Christians, the very ones who should be bringing God’s love, hope, and grace to them. So what can we do?
Be their friend. How many single moms do you know? There are nearly 16 million families in America headed up by a single mom. 57% of the babies born to Millennials are being born to unmarried mothers.
Single Moms face the same issues that households with two parents face but do it alone – a house that needs to be cleaned, meals made, groceries bought, homework checked, birthdays celebrated, sick kids to care for, etc.
Often they’re economically challenged and must come up with creative ways to cover all of the expenses of a family but on one income. Most parents know what it is to feel exhausted but imagine that same weariness doubled by having to work full-time, and care for kids, only to put them in bed and realize that the house is a disaster.
A sick child for a single Mom isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a crisis. While most employers will seek to be understanding, if there is a long-term or chronic illness, care for a child can cost them their job.
While most of them do not live in your neighborhood, particularly if you live in a subdivision where people own their own homes, their children attend school with your children. Often the simplest bridge into their lives is by opening your home and life to their children. Perhaps offer a ride if you see a need. If your children are involved in youth sports, their children may be the ones dropped off by a grandparent because Mom has to work.
If you engage with individuals in your day-to-day life, they’re often your server or bartender. They may be that clerk where you buy gas. Maybe they cut your hair or do your nails. This is why it’s so important to see every transaction as a gospel opportunity.
As Christians, we don’t believe in accidents. We must see life as a series of continual divine appointments. So, learn names. Ask questions. Go out of your way to greet and engage them even if it’s for a few moments. Be encouraging and affirming. Every person we meet is Imago Dei. They’re designed by God, He loves them and has a plan for their lives.
Include them and their children. At Grace, without making someone feel weird, we don’t want anyone to sit alone. Please include single parents in your social circles. Learn their children’s names. Go out of your way to make them feel comfortable. Most young parents feel some level of anxiety about their child’s behavior with those they don’t know. Help those parents feel at ease. Let’s let children be children. Single Moms need to feel that our church has dozens of aunts, uncles, and grandparents for their children and that we accept where they’re at. We want to be Jesus to them!
Include them on holidays. Think about it. Who prepares Mother’s Day for moms? Their spouses, usually not their children. When a single mom has young children and doesn’t have a spouse, she’s often forgotten on Mother’s Day. For a mom working double-time, it can be a heartbreaking moment. So how much work is it for us to include a few extra at our home on Mother’s Day or Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas? And what is relatively small for us, can be huge for a single Mom and her children.
It can be something as simple as going out for lunch after church or for ice cream. Small pleasures that most of us take for granted can be enormous for a single Mom with limited discretionary money.
Be her companion if she has to go to Court. For most single moms, going to court is an unavoidable reality. Being in court with their child’s other parent can be one of the scariest and loneliest times in a single mom’s journey and most spend it completely alone. So offer to go to court with her. If additional people are not allowed in the courtroom, offer to wait for her outside and meet her for coffee afterward.
Godly men can step in the gap. You want to be appropriate and wise, yet many single Moms don’t have a godly man in their lives. They can be taken advantage of by a mechanic or a repairman. Simple maintenance like a leaky faucet or changing the oil in a car can be huge for them.
Their children need to see godly men who don’t see their Mom as sex objects. A godly man can teach a child how to fish or throw and catch a ball. Having a man pray for the food at a meal can speak volumes in a child’s heart who has never seen a man who loves the Lord and loves children.
A cruel world needs to see the Church being the Church. They need to see Jesus in us. Jesus loved and cared for children and parents, and so must we! Being pro-life means being Jesus to those who most need His care!

Sunday, July 10, 2022

DNA: The Building Blocks of Who We Are

“Often in life we forget the things that we should remember
and remember the things that we should forget.”

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table but she didn't miss them until they’d been driving for about forty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around, in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. And all the way back, her husband was the classic grumpy old man, fussing and complaining. He scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up. Finally, to her relief, they arrived at the restaurant. As the berated woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, “While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and credit card.”

According to researcher, Karen Bolla, everyone periodically forgets things. Here are the six things we most often forget: Names – 83%; Where something is – 60%; Telephone numbers – 57%; Words – 53%; What was said – 49%; Faces - 42%. And if you can’t remember whether you’ve just done something, you’re in good company with 38% of the population.

The Bible has a lot to say about remembering. The word remember is used 234 times in the Bible. But God knows how forgetful we are. In the Old Testament, we find that God continually gave His people memory reminders to assist them in remembering. In the New Testament, we have two of those that were given to the local church so we wouldn’t forget what Jesus has done for us in our salvation: Baptism and Communion.

For the next several weeks we’re breaking from our series on 1 Samuel for a new summer series: DNA – The Building Blocks of Who We Are. We want to unpack who we are and why we do what we do at Grace. Many of you are new to our church and we want you to know our DNA and why we do what we do. Yet, even for those who’ve been here for years or decades, it’s easy to forget our purpose or what we’re calling our DNA.

If you asked most Americans what makes being part of a church important, according to The Pew Research Center, you’d hear reasons like…attending church is important because we have children. Others admit that they primarily go to church because they feel obligated. Some attend a church because they’re looking for guidance to help them through life. Some go to church to feel God’s presence. Then, others go to church for fellowship and social reasons.

While none of those reasons are wrong, they’re not necessarily biblical and they’re not our DNA at Grace Church. While other gospel teaching churches are similar to ours, none of us are clones. Each church has its own distinctives, values, and personality. While we do not believe that we are the best church in the community and we don’t believe in competing or trying to “sell” people on our church. We are though committed to being the best church that we can be for the glory of God. We are committed to building His Kingdom not our little Empire.

We also know we’re not for everybody. There are many good churches within driving distance of our church. They have pastors and people who love the Lord and are seeking to please Him. That’s why every week at our church prayer meeting we pray for area gospel-preaching churches and we partner together with them on ministries like our teen program.

At Grace, we want to be transparent about who we are. Many times when someone has called or visited our church and we find that they’re looking for a certain program or type of ministry that’s not us, we direct them elsewhere. At Grace, we’re committed to the biblical reality that every Christian should be a fully committed Christ-follower. There are times though when because of our values, personality, or DNA, someone will thrive more spiritually in another church. Growing spiritually, becoming more like Jesus, and glorifying Him, is more important than being part of Grace Church. We just don’t want to be an obstacle in someone’s loving and being more like Jesus.

We are though very, very excited about what the Lord is doing here at Grace and where we’re headed. In the last few years, we’ve seen more come to Christ or get juiced about their faith or walk with the Lord than we have in decades. We’ve experienced a fresh moving of God’s Spirit in our church family, more than ever before. We’re headed in a direction and we want to make sure our church family knows where we are going and remembers who we are.

For some, this series will be just a good reminder. It’s easy for a church to become distracted or focused on the nonessentials. For others, this will be new. Perhaps you thought that all churches are essentially the same. They’re not. Every church has its own DNA.

What is church DNA? Essentially, it’s the essence or soul of a church. It’s the often unspoken assumptions that shape a church’s vision, values, and mission. It’s subtly mirrored in a church’s symbols, stories, and history. It’s difficult to define because it’s invisible, like the air we breathe.

Sometimes DNA is most easily understood when things are out of alignment when something isn’t quite right. A church that is out of sync with its DNA is one of the greatest causes of conflict in a local church family and creates more damage than nearly any other church issue. Incongruence with DNA can be highly destructive.

Perhaps you remember several years ago when Sears launched “the softer side of Sears” campaign, it bombed. Why? Because when people think of Sears, they think of tools or appliances, not nightgowns and dress suits. It didn’t fit their DNA. Healthy churches have a clear sense of identity. They know their DNA and they don't readily deviate from it.

At Grace we want you to know our DNA, so for the next few weeks, we’ll be working through some of our values and what we believe is important. It won’t be exhaustive. It will help all of us though be on the same page, so we can grow together, better pray, and move forward together for His glory…because that’s what it’s really all about – pleasing King Jesus!

Sunday, July 3, 2022

What's RIGHT with America?

“The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” John F. Kennedy

When was the last time you heard a news report or commentary on what’s right about America? Maybe on the 4^th of July or some other national holiday, you might hear or see posts about what people love and appreciate about America but it’s not the normal fare. Both left and right-wing media increase ratings by highlighting what’s wrong with America. Even Christian organizations use crisis and impending doom to raise funds.

Please understand, that America has its share of problems but what country would you rather live in? If America is so bad, why is it that so many from other countries seek to immigrate here? In fact, over three times as many people immigrate to the U.S. than the next most popular country which is Germany. Both Canada and Australiahave have half of even Germany's numbers who seek to immigrate there. In spite of the benefits of socialism and Marxism that are sometimes spouted as improvements over our system, very few actually immigrate to socialist or Marxist nations.

God’s people are to be grateful and He wants us to be thankful for the many blessings He’s given us (James 1:17) in America. That’s not to say that there aren’t problems that need to be addressed, yet our spiritual health and witness is affixed to our grateful outlook for His blessings. This is why most of us need to limit our media intake and even social media. It’s often mental junk food that directs our minds toward anger, anxiety or depression. If you narrowly focus on the news, economics, morality, and politics in general, then you’ll overlook the many blessings that God has given us in America. Let me share just a few of the many blessings we have as Americans.

We have freedom of religion. Around the world eight believers are martyred every day and 182 Churches are ravaged each week. More than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution for their faith. Many Christians worship in secret in fear of arrest. Very few have Bibles.

Slavery was a horrible cancer in America and Britain. If it had not been the freedom of religion, it might still be legal today. Slavery is driven by a love for money and profitability. Horribly there were Christians who worshipped money more than God and neglected that God had created every person as Imago Dei, (made in the image of God). But the Quakers got it and even before the Constitution was ratified protested against slavery and wanted it abolished as part of the Constitution. British statesman, William Wilberforce, fought to end slavery until his death. There’s a connection that in the many countries where slavery is still legal or “illegal” yet allowed, none have religious freedom. Because of religious freedom, philanthropic organizations like Goodwill, YMCA, the Salvation Army, and countless hospitals were started by religious individuals.

We have economic freedom and opportunity. Why do so many immigrate to America? Because it’s the land of opportunity. You can have any job that you want. You have the right to own property, including your own home and car. You can own your own business. One has the freedom to produce, trade, and consume goods and services acquired without the use of force, fraud, or theft. While we unfortunately have increasing governmental oversight, entrepreneurs still thrive and are successful.

The Sugar Bowl Bakery founder Andrew Ly fled Vietnam after the U.S. pulled out in 1975. After living in a Malaysian refugee camp, Ly arrived in the U.S. with just a dollar to his name in 1979. In 1984, Ly and his four brothers pooled their savings and opened the Sugar Bowl Bakery, which went on to be a $400 million dollar business. Iranian-born Ahmad Meradji, the CEO of Booklogix moved to America from Iran at 21. After working as a busboy and doing other menial jobs, he climbed the corporate ladder and in 2006 started his own self-publishing service, Booklogix, which today is worth $4.5 million. America is the land of opportunity.

We have a justice system that protects the rights of individuals. While our justice system has problems, it surpasses that of much of the world. One can’t be arrested without cause. Most Americans in an emergency will still dial 911 and be confident that law enforcement or emergency personnel will come to their aid. We have laws against unlawful detention and discrimination and the right to a speedy trial with a jury of your peers. There is to be impartiality amongst judicial officers. Discrimination against women and the violation of fundamental human rights is illegal.

We have a representative form of government. Though all of the political advertising can be irritating, we have free and open elections. We have an open government that shares information, empowers citizens with tools to hold the Government accountable, and fosters and encourages the participation of its citizens in the deliberation of public policy. If a law or situation is unjust, we have the right to assemble and protest. Unlike in many countries, peaceful protesters are not arrested, beaten or shot.

We live in the land of plenty. While there is a supply chain shortage and some items are either difficult to obtain or more limited or more costly than in the past, the shelves of our grocery stores are still filled. Not only that there are multiple grocery stores to choose from, not to mention fruit and vegetable stands and farmers’ markets in nearly every community. We have so much that there are thrift stores and discount stores that sell second-hand goods of items that others have discarded.

Compared to much of the world even those in poverty are “wealthy.” The word poverty suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter, yet only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as “poor” by the Census Bureau fit that description. Most of America’s poor live in material conditions that would be judged well-off compared to much of the world. 46% of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by those classified as poor is a three bedroom house with one and a half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. 76% have air conditioning. As a group, America’s poor are far from being chronically undernourished. Even our poor are not as poor as much of the world.

Does America have problems? Yes. Yet, we have countless blessings given to us by God and we need to thank Him for His goodness to us!