Signs of the times

No, I am not writing about the end of the world. Maybe to some people this economic crisis feels like it's the end of the world for them. I truly am sympathetic but in business cycles, periods of expansion is usually followed by periods of contraction. But this period of contraction seems awfully severe, more severe than any of the past ones that we've experience and is affecting more people. It is scary but just as in any business cycles, not everyone is affected and then not everyone is affected to the same degree, some more badly than others. We went out to eat last night, the Chinese restaurant where we ate was full, they were doing a buzz ling business. We went shopping at the Citadel Outlet Mall, there were a lot of shoppers there. Other people said they are experiencing tremendous slowdown in their business. I see a lot of vacant commercial shop lots, something I've not seen in the last 10 years, there are a lot of 'for lease' signs.

But even thousands of years ago, it has been recorded in the bible that periods of plenty will be followed by periods of empty. In the story of Joseph, he had dreams which foretold of 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. In times of plenty we are supposed to save up for times of famine. Famines, ever since the beginning of time, are common occurrences but in all of them the people of God were provided for, as in Isaac, 'Isaac sowed in a famine and reaped a 100 fold', Elijah was fed by the raven as he waited on God by the little brook and later by the widow and her son. In times like this we need to reach into the word of God and find our assurances there.

I was at the Orange antique mall last week and happened upon a going out of business sale. I scored this set of French crockery for $90, I would have paid $180 otherwise. There were others in the other shops who were packing up their store and closing their businesses.

Six months ago, my 2 brothers fell victim to the current business climate, they were among the first to pack up their business. Lately they found out that others in the same line of business have followed suit, they kind of gave permission to everyone, saying, it's no shame to close. Because they were among the first to do it, they were able to liquidate most of their assets.