SENTINEL WATCH August 20, 2007 Issue

WHEN ENDS MEET AT THEIR SOURCE

JEREMY CARPER

WHEN WE TALKED about personal finance, my father-in-law used to chuckle ruefully and say that every time he'd just about managed to make ends meet, they moved! It does seem that for many of us, the economic necessities of caring for our families, managing car and house payments, and satisfying those all-too-seductive credit cards can be a burden.

Most people I know aren't CEOs or film stars with lavish lifestyles and impressive salaries. We're all hard at work, sometimes just surviving from paycheck to paycheck. One commentary I recently read discussed the increasing pressures on the middle class and worried about the growing disparity between the extremes of wealth and poverty in America, noting that in terms of purchasing power some families have fallen from where they were 20 years ago, and are in danger of dropping into poverty.

I've found it useful to remember that God, our Father-Mother, has always been and always will be the source of good. We're the offspring of this Source, God's image and likeness, so we must reflect Godlike qualities in our daily lives. God isn't like a large turtle that lays lots of eggs and then trundles off, leaving her offspring to hatch, scramble, and fend for themselves in a cruel and uncaring world. He cares for us constantly, and we can perceive this care acting in practical ways in our lives.