THE UNEMPLOYED

The unemployment numbers are constantly in the news. In fact, they have such a constant presence that it’s easy for those numbers to get lost in our psyche. Yet, for the unemployed, they are not just numbers; they are a scary reality of life.

I fully realize that there are people who play the system and collect unemployment checks when they could be working. I also fully realize that if benefits weren’t so adequate, it would put more pressure on people to take whatever job they can. Even so, I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about the ones who are desperately fighting to find a job, pay their mortgages, utility bills, and other household obligations. These are the ones who kids aren’t participating in sports and band because the cost is financially prohibitive. They spend their nights worrying and wondering what’s going to happen the next day.

It’s these people that I hope the constant drumbeat of unemployment news doesn’t cause us to forget about. The unemployment situation in America is a serious plague upon our society. I hope we all have a heart for the unemployed and keep them in our prayers.