Recession is an ugly word.

I just got done reading an article from my hometown's paper on unemployment rates. Awhile back, the New York Times ran a story calling Elkhart County the "white-hot center of the meltdown of the American economy." that's not a label any town would want.

In December of 2007, unemployment in the county was at 4.7%. By November of 2008, it was at 9.3%. Today, the rate is 15.3% and rising.

My friends and family are struggling because of a chain reaction related to gas prices. Elkhart's main industry was the RV industry. When people couldn't afford gas, they stopped buying RV's, which meant people lost pay, then hours, then jobs. It's weird when I go home, because our neighborhood is just south of where the factories all are. Usually, there would be fleets of RVs outside, but I haven't seen that for awhile.

Because parents are struggling, kids are struggling. They're in and out of school, in and out of homes, as their parents try to make it work. One of my mom's students lives in three different houses during the week while family members work odd hours just to get by. Almost all the students in her class are in the free lunch program. The community is struggling in all areas- not just factories, but in schools, local programs, and even churches. Yesterday, my friends at GCC had to let go of some of their staff, and it was like losing a limb. They had to say goodbye to people who were like family, and there was nothing else that could be done to prevent it.

It seems like a dismal situation with no hope, and it may be awhile before things turn around, but it reminds me of something Paul said in Colossians:

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

In struggles, the human race unites together; we help each other get by. We saw it with WWI and II, 9/11, and I've got no doubt in my mind that it will become a reality for us in the coming days. Without the riches of the world, we start to see the riches of life- the love of a family, the care of our Creator, our own strength and perseverance. It may feel like it's wearing us down or beating us up, but in reality, we will be stronger at the end of the day. My hope is that we never lose sight of the big picture, of how God is working through us individually and as a community.