More Than A Just A Number on CNN

I had a conversation today with a friend which which made the economic meltdown hit closer to home. He shared with me that 18 people were laid off in his office of 100, and it's likely that that he'll be out of job by the end of the year. The silver lining, at least as he sees it, is that he'll have a good amount of time to plan his job search.

I suppose it's easy to get desensitized to news about job losses as they roll in from the news. Here's just a quick sample of announcements in the past 60 days:

Corning, 3500 job cuts

Baker Hughes, 1500

Navistar, 700

Avery Dennison, 3600

Volvo Trucks, 650

Weyerhaeuser, 220

Target, 1500

Caterpillar, 20000

Pfizer, 20000

Sprint Nextel, 8000

Home Depot, 7000

Texas Instruments, 3400

ING, 7000

Deere, 700

Time Warner, 800

Microsoft, 5000

Rohm & Haas, 900

Harley-Davidsn, 1100

Circuit City, 30000

After a while, those numbers may seem like abstract figures on a spreadsheet. But each individual that makes up that number is a human being who either was or is going to receive a call or e-mail from their boss or human resources, and will be filled with a combination of anxiety, distress, and anger as they are being told that they are being let go. 

That person may very well have a spouse or children who they'll have to go home to and break the difficult news, and perhaps amid some sadness think hard about how the family will work together to try to make it work. Maybe those braces will have to wait another year, a trip to see the grandparents will be cancelled, or a weekly family dinner out tradition will need to end. Others may be fearful of an inability to pay for healthcare or make their car or house payments.

Perhaps "drastic" measures may follow. Do both spouses need to search for work? Perhaps try to find odd jobs? Does the family consider moving in with relatives? Perhaps moving to another town and starting from scratch? Does a child in college quit to look for work?

The last two weeks at church, we've sung a new praise song which I think is particularly relevant for our times. It's "The Lord Is" from Sovereign Grace's Psalms CD and is inspired from Psalm 23:

The depths of Your grace who can measure

You fully supply all I need 

You restore my weary soul again and again 

And lead me in Your righteousness and peace

You’re with me through every dark valley

There’s nothing that I have to fear

You are there to comfort me again and again 

Protecting me, assuring me You’re near

The Lord is

The Lord is my shepherd

The Lord is

The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not want

You gave Your own life for my ransom

So I could rejoice at Your side

You have shown Your faithfulness again and again

There’s nothing good that You will not provide

I will dwell in Your house

All the days of my life

I will dwell in Your house

All the days of my life

You watch over me

You take care of all my needs

You provide in every situation

So I sing...

It's a great song just to close your eyes and meditate upon, to truly own the lyrics in the depths of your soul - to be reminded that our job security, the good graces of our employers, our savings account, and our shrewd politicking is not where our hope and security resides. If nothing else, this economy has been fantastic of reminding us of this.

And that invitation to come and rest our weary souls is one which is overwhelming. It's an invitation that everyone and anyone who has been driven to their knees by the events of the past year, employed or unemployed, can embrace and accept. I know I will.