A few days ago, I talked to a Spirit-filled colleague as she dropped me off back to my place from work.
T. is from Houston, Texas, and she and her ex-husband recently got back together. She will soon be leaving the area. He lives in Houston, while she and her kids live in Arlington, VA with her folks.
From a previous employer, she received stock options with her 401K. She earned quite a nest egg. One particular company stock she was not happy about is Enron. It was part of her portfolio, and, yes, she lost money from the investment. She was fortunate not to lose everything like other investors who posted their savings and retirement in the stock. For some, that means everything.
I could tell there was no love lost between her and the people behind the Enron fiasco.
During our conversation, the topic of Kenneth Lay's death eventually slipped into our immediate discussion since his funeral occurred this week. As the new reports stated, he was supposedly a Christian. Raised by two small town ministers, he eventually worked diligently to get to the top of the success ladder with his own company, Enron.
I mentioned to T. that I heard he was a Christian. She eyed me with such contempt. If I were in that situation, would I be able to forgive and forget that type of loss? Probably not.
If this man were a Christian, what happened to him? Well, we know the end results. Some people make mistakes and fall. Christians make mistakes. How did this all happen? How did he and others in his company fall so badly and affect so many people's lives, including employees and stockholders?
Instantly, I recall the parables of the sower and the weeds in Matthew 13. If you ever read that Scripture, then you know how it discusses conditions in which seeds grow. Seeds fall into various types of soil. There are excellent conditions in which a seed can grow, and, obviously there are bad conditions in which a seed cannot grow, right?
Well, Matthew 13:22 hits it on the nail as it is written,
The one who received the seed
that fell among the thorns
is the man who hears the word,
but the worries of this life
and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it,
making it unfruitful.
It is so important that we consistently sow good seed with preparation and regular reading of the Word to keep up with our spiritual nourishment and development and commitment.
If not, we end up in bad conditions where we choke the seed of abundance. We lose that control and the favor. If you get an opportunity, re-read Matthew 13. It's a chapter worth a review.
T. has resolved the issue of monetary loss and is moving forward. Her portfolio is doing well, and she thanks God for that blessing.
technorati tags: current events; news; Kenneth Lay; Enron; Christianity; Bible
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