Shade Tree Wisdom 6/25/08

We had a nice rain yesterday, so the air was fresh, but a bit heavy and more humid this morning to make walking less pleasant. But I did anyhow, walk, that is. I was just passing a parked car when a phone lying on the seat started to buzz. At least the owner had the door locked. But all I needed was a rock and this conversation might follow.
“Hello”
“Who is this?”
“It’s the person stealing your friends phone, Looks like a pretty good one, think I’ll just keep it”.
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not. He didn’t seem to want to keep it. Goodbye now”.

No, I didn’t do that. Didn’t even want to, but it makes me think how careless we often are with our things. And how the rising prices are causing people to re-think some spending habits. Starbucks, for example, blamed rising prices when it reported a drop of 28 percent in earnings for the second quarter. The latte habit is getting a second look, I believe. And cut out the Frappucinos. And one sees fewer SUVs on the highway lately, more sedans and smaller cars.

In other ways, rising food and gas prices are making people take another look at their spending habits, and making some adjustments in the way they regard what they buy.

An example that I wonder about. There is a car with Illinois plates parked down the street. It’s been there for several weeks now. Question; is it a family visiting, or a son home from university, or someone who came to visit and now doesn’t have the funds to drive back home again? I am not curios enough to go and ask, but. .

Studies seem to show that if we use cash for all purchases, instead of the ubiquitous card, we spend less. Give that a try.

But in it all, we remember that we are His. God’s children, who trust His care in their lives always. My experience is that God is always there, and especially in the interruptions and what we might regard as side issues of life, even there does He reach, and bless.

Meanwhile, I leave you with the question James asks. ”What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. So we ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live, and do this or that’.” James 4,14. So, always “My times are in Thy hands" Ps. 31,15. So live and walk under His care and blessing in Christ.
GPD 6/25/08