Posts Tagged ‘Unemployment’

14 Feb

I’m Sick of This

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Faith, Lent, Prayer, Unemployment. Tagged: , , , , .

Hospital Corridor

For many Americans, one of the scariest things about being unemployed is the looming threat of the loss of health care.   While many western nations have guaranteed health care to all of their citizens, the United States lags far behind in this area.  According to one study, as many as 75% of unemployed Americans have no or inadequate health care coverage.  Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God doesn’t promise us good health, but he does promise to give us the strength to carry us through any situation, including health problems.   During your Lenten journey, through prayer and fasting, place your cares on the altar of God and leave the rest to him.  Do not be afraid…He will give you the inner strength to sustain you in any situation.   As the apostle Paul tells us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

Psalm 23, the Shepherd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (NKJV)

Today’s Lenten Prayer: 

Dear God, in his public ministry Jesus healed the sick and cured many of diseases. We pray for your compassion on the sick and also for their friends and loved ones who are anxious and worried about them.  We pray for the unemployed and others in our nation lacking basic health and dental care. We pray for those who receive inadequate treatment for their illnesses and injuries or have suffered financially from their health problems. We pray for all believers who are health care providers, recognizing that their careers serve their faith. May the conscience of all health care professionals and all health care institutions be reminded of the sacredness of human life. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God

Today’s Reading: Luke 17:11-17  Jesus Heals Ten Lepers

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2017:11-17&version=NKJV

13 Feb

Taking a Lenten Journey while Unemployed

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Fear, Lent, Uncategorized, Unemployment. Tagged: , , .

Ash Wednesday

A long period of unemployment can be one of the most trying experiences a person will ever endure. There are two paths one can take in such a situation.

The first and easiest way is to descend into self-pity. This journey ultimately leads to anger, blame and hatred aimed toward the individuals or group perceived to be responsible for one’s situation. The pathway leads into a deep pit that is difficult to climb out of. It turns toxic if followed for too long; and the poison spreads to those around you.

The second path is much more arduous, because it entails a difficult climb requiring tremendous strength, patience and faith. This journey is filled with personal reflection, introspection, forgiveness and discernment. Sticking to this pathway, call it the high road, leads to renewal, reinvigoration and healing. It makes one stronger inside and out.

The season of Lent is also a journey. Traditionally it is a period of reflection and renewal for Christians. During this season we pray and reflect upon Christ’s final journey as he prepared for and set out towards Jerusalem, where he knew he must suffer a horrible death. There, having resisted all the temptations of this world and lived a sinless life, Jesus chose the difficult pathway leading up Calvary Hill. On that bloody rock, mocked and condemned by his own people, he was nailed to a cross and died, taking upon himself all the sins of the world. The story doesn’t end there though. For at the end of Lent we celebrate Easter, the festival of the glorious resurrection of Christ when he arose from the dead, thereby setting us all free from death.

During Lent, challenge yourself to choose the difficult path. Make this a season of reflection, introspection, forgiveness and discernment. It is a wonderful time to discipline yourself through prayer and simply listen for direction from the still, small voice of God. Hope and inner peace await those who follow this pathway to the end.

A Psalm for Ash Wednesday:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! Psalm 130:1-2

A Prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow charity; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, the truth; Where there is doubt, the faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

A Reading for Lent:

The Economy – Just in Time for Lent (an article by Randy Sly, associate editor of Catholic Online)
http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/story.php?id=32514

Please visit this blog for the next six consecutive days as we begin our Lenten journey together.

23 Jan

Don’t worry away the blessings of today!

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Faith, Prayer, Simple Living, Unemployment, work. Tagged: , , , , .

Image

In every life we have some trouble,

                      When you worry you make it double,               

Don’t worry, be happy. 

Lyrics from “Don’t worry be happy” by Bobby McFerrin 

The Psalms tell us, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (118:24). Well, this is a cold day in Pittsburgh.  No—on second thought it’s freezing.  When I awoke this morning it was a frigid one degree above zero and quite windy, driving the wind chill well below zero.  As I worked through my morning devotional I remembered to thank God that I was warm and snug inside my home.  By midday it had already reached the predicted high, a sweltering 12 degrees.

I’m unemployed and looking hard for a good job these days, so I spend a lot of time at my computer.  Today as I sat working on the laptop in my home office, I found myself spending long periods just staring out the window at the beautiful snow-covered woods before me.  I couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of activity outside.

Birds were fluttering about despite the brutal weather. I keep my copy of the Peterson Field Guide® for Eastern Birds nearby. With it, I was able to identify cardinals, blue jays, robins (weird for winter), wrens, house finches, creepers, titmice, chickadees, and at least three kinds of woodpeckers.  Watching so many birds going about their business despite the difficulties presented by the harsh weather was inspiring.  It made me recall the scripture:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  Matthew 6:25-34 (NKJV)

I belong to a faith-based job networking group where there are lots of unemployed folks like me. For the unemployed, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with worry. Yet worrying about what might be tomorrow strips the joy from what is today. I find it helpful each day to review the inventory of the things I have to be thankful for.  Faith, family, and friends are always at the top of my list—blessings that unemployment can never take away and for which I will always be thankful.   

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.” Being unemployed can be one of the greatest tests of faith a Christian will ever endure.  Each time you find worry creeping into your thoughts, turn it into an opportunity for prayer.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

21 Dec

Pray for Sandy Hook and More

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Poverty, Prayer, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Unemployment. Tagged: , , , , .

Jesus Praying - Dec 2012

“The world as God designed it was the best of all possible worlds, but it has now become the worst of all possible worlds; in fact, the Bible reveals that it could not be any worse than it is.  Individual men who take the wrong line can get worse, but the world itself cannot get worse. Grief brings a man to see this more quickly than anything else and he longs for an umpire who will hold the scales.”  —Oswald Chambers

The recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have left the minds of many spinning—such horrific acts defy the human mind’s ability to understand.  We’ll probably never learn the shooter’s motive or understand the thoughts that were going through his head on that terrible day.

Watching friends and family of the victims being interviewed, it’s clear that many of them are experiencing difficulty simply trying to explain their feelings in the wake of the calamity.  They just can’t seem to find the words.  At times when others are hurting and we can’t seem to find the right words, good people everywhere ought to pray.

There’s no need to be eloquent in your prayers, just pause, get in touch with God and let the Spirit do the rest.  Romans 8:26 tells us, “…the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (NKJV).  Before  going to bed tonight take a minute to drop to your knees and lift up the families, friends and loved ones of all whose lives have been affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy.

While Sandy Hook might be foremost in our thoughts and prayers today, never forget that there are far more Americans elsewhere who are also suffering greatly.  For many Americans, 2013 promises only uncertainty and potential disaster.  I recently joined a local job networking group.  Although currently unemployed, I’m fortunate enough to be a military retiree with a dependable monthly paycheck and medical benefits.  Most in the group aren’t so lucky.  Many struggle to make a mortgage payment, others are facing looming homelessness and still others don’t even have enough money to pay for gas to drive to our networking meetings.

As Jesus tells us, we will always have the poor with us.  Unfortunately, there’s a new variety of the poor in America.  It’s composed of educated, middle class people who have worked for years and now find themselves struggling through long periods of unemployment.  The American middle class is shrinking while those living in poverty grows proportionately.

As our politicians bicker over taxes and spending, it appears that the federal emergency unemployment benefits that are currently in effect might be allowed to expire on December 31st.  This would place many more American families at risk.  Judging by the news, the politicians are nearly out of time and ideas as to how to reduce the massive national debt and get spending under control.  It’s time that we turned to God for ideas.

So while you’re on your knees tonight, don’t stop after saying a prayer for Sandy Hook.  Also ask God to help our nation by blessing our elected officials on both sides of the aisle and giving them the wisdom and courage to do what’s best for America in the coming year.

May you have a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

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