The Season of Thanks?

I received an email from a very angry person yesterday that used some expletives to describe me and ended by telling me to burn in Hell. During this Holiday Season as we approach Thanksgiving, it is a sad reminder how much anger there is out there. We saw it during the Presidential election, and still see it in several places around the country, and we come across it in our personal daily lives.

This should be a time where people focus on what is good in their lives. This year is quite different from recent years however, due to the major downturn in our economy and the reality that we are on the verge of a major economic crisis as we hear daily of failing U.S. Banks and an Auto Industry that is ready to collapse.

My family is feeling the effects of this economy like so many others. I was recently laid off from Flock due to major cuts in payroll as several people were let go. We also just found out a week after getting laid off that we are having another baby but will not have health insurance come November 30th. So many things have hit us all at the same time.

I know my family is not the only one going through tough times as so many others could give similar stories. I am sure our situation is nowhere near as devastating as others who are going to even tougher times and painful situations.

That is why, more than ever, we need to look to the source of these Holidays. Thanksgiving was a day that the early inhabitants of this country took to give thanks to God, the giver of our rights and freedoms and the one who can take care of us in times of trials and tribulation. He is our hope and as a nation, we have turned our attention to other things. The name Virtus comes from the Latin word for power. It is used in 1 Corinthians 2:5 which says "[Y]our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

This verse has come to mean a lot to me over the past year as I have seen Him do amazing things for our family. Now, in this time of uncertainty and trouble for my family and the nation as a whole, we need to turn back our attention to Him as the source of our help.

We have leaders in our government that are spending trillions of dollars to bail out failing industries as we teeter on another depression. None of them agree on what we should do, who we should help, how much we should spend, etc. Things might get better but could get a lot worse.

So many people are scared and angry and I am not sure they really know why. While I look for a job, continue creating new themes, and prepare for a new addition to our family, I can have hope and peace knowing that God is in control and He is our help in times of great trouble.