401K BLUES

Have you been watching your retirement account shrink faster than you can say, "earmark"? Do you have an awful knot in your stomach and random, bizarre thoughts about the future? Visions of pawnshops and soup kitchens? I heard the "D" word on TV today, not "D" for defense, "D" for depression, as in the next great.

I think a certain group of talking heads would have us ready to jump out the window. I am weary of an America where one political party sells doomsday while the other sells the future with pork on the side. Partisan politics are driving the country into the ground.

Oh, Lord, when will the greed and bickering end?

I have been drawn to the story of Job many times in the past few years, but never more so than now. To quote Job 1:21:

"Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall go back again; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Turn off the TV and pray for the grace to know and obey God's will for us. After all, its His board game, not ours. We were created by God, for God. He may just allow capitalism to go to hell in a hand basket.

Easier said than done, right? Well, if Job's revolutionary attitude doesn't strike you just right, try our Lord and Savior:

"Then He saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea...(He said to them) ‘Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid’. He got into the boat with them, and the wind died down." (Mark 6:48-50 NAB)

Retirement accounts and our relationships to them are as varied as the projects getting government aid. Some of us are negligent in funding them, some of us worshiped them and the dream they represented, and most of us swore to increase our contributions as we signed our tax returns each of the past several years.

Those who worshiped long at the retirement account altar are watching their excursions to the Far East and African safaris disappear, while the C and E type contributors are forced to swear off Starbucks and trips to the mall. I haven't checked lately, but Wal-Mart might be the only safe investment right now. Those who have retired and live off interest, dividends, and social security, are praying the hardest. Those with cash are buying real estate.

When I think about all these things for too long, a little voice tells me to forget about it and re-focus on what God's will is for me. What does He want me to do today? He might say, "convert to cash," but more likely he will say "Call your brother," "Come to confession," or "Come to mass," and certainly "Be not afraid!"

Don't forget to say grace over your dinner tonight. Bless the Lord's name for knowing the number of hairs on your head, and for working out his plan for your life. The future always holds the certainty of change. With Him we are free to face it without fear.