A Confusing World

Just down the street from where I live is a disturbing scene. I see it often as I travel our area. The scene is a young couple with a baby. They in fact are only one of a half dozen of similar couples in our area. They are young with a baby and no jobs.

The young couple that I have come to know have challenged me in my thinking and understanding. I simply do not understand why they are the way they are.

He has graduated from High School(or in some cases not) – she has not. After their dating was hot and heavy for a while – she got pregnant and the baby arrived. She has not finished schooling. He has no job and never seems to do anything. Both are on some sort of an assistance program from the government. Both smoke heavily and sit with their baby out front waiting the day out…so they can go to bed... sleep.. wakeup… smoke some more… then wait another day out…

I heard recently of another young couple in a similar stage of life. The young lady’s mom told the boy – the father of her grandchild to not consider working –“because you will lose all your benefits that you have on this program…”

In other words –if you try to work – you will lose it all. Stay unemployed and you will get more. You can live with this money. You have your smokes and free time all to yourself.

All these young couples have babies, and the babies are being taught that mommy and daddy are doing their best for you – nothing. Someday you will be supported by imaginary funds as well. Some day you can do nothing too.

Oddly enough the young lady and the young man’s parents – on both sides – have lived this way for a long time.

‘Hopeless’ comes to my mind as a major word to consider. But in actual fact they have a great Hope – that next month’s welfare cheque will be there when they need it. In fact they know it will be. So they are satisfied – completely.

Phone calls for help…
From time to time I get calls for help. One young lady called the other day – for bus money. She needed to get to court in another city. It was ¾ of the way through the month and she had no money left for a ticket. Now she needed me to pay for one. I told her that we didn’t do that kind of thing to which she expressed her great displeasure and wondered at my kind of Christianity. “I have called all of the churches for help too, and you guys are all the same! No one cares!” She hung up on me. But two months ago she called and did the same things at that time

I am tired of being a “hand-er-out-er”. Someone feels that I am their Spiritual ATM – ask – push the right buttons and out comes the sweet Christian stuff that will cover all that you have need of.

With a grin I say… ‘If that was true I wouldn’t be driving an 11 year old van with rusting doors and a sagging body. I would have got some of it for myself… because I need it more than they do.’

I wish that I could take the young guys along and show them the joy of working in a field. I wish they could catch the fresh smell of sweat as it runs down your own body – from good hard work. I wish they could sit down after it is done and smile at a job well done. I wish.

Another grandpa told me lately that he is tired of supporting a family that won’t work. He told me how money was running out quickly and the pension could not supply three more mouths being fed. His sad words told softly of extreme frustration.

This diatribe is for the people that give so much that it hurts. I want to say thank you for what you have done – over and over again. God will reward you I am sure. Hang in there a little longer. But know this one thing… we all face this same issue and all need each other.

It is a confusing world out there. But we will make it through with some support.

That is where the old fashioned idea of church comes in. It is people supporting people while God is supporting them. They are all finding some difficulties as they face the world around them.

Hey – I need your support when I have had enough. Enough is now – I need support.

How about you?

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~