What Is This World Coming To?

I sit here in front of my computer, in a slight state of disbelief. In today's instant society, there is information available at the touch of a fingertip, and today was no exception. A friend of mine had posted a link on facebook, and intrigued by the caption, I clicked on the two minute clip.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com

Imagine the shock and horror as I watch and listen ... two small children, ages 2 and 3, were left at home alone while their mother and aunt go "take a man home" who had apparently cut the mother's grass. It is not specified, but we assume that the mother is the distraught individual who can barely stand that we see briefly in the background. The aunt, on the other hand, shows no remorse whatsoever for having left the two children alone in the house. She states that she's not sure how the house caught on fire, "the kids might have done it", or someone might have thrown something in there to make it catch on fire ... but her primary concern? She "needs to get in there and see if her purse burnt up because it had her food stamp card in it."

A two year old and a three year old are in critical condition at a Memphis hospital because they were home alone when a fire broke out, and all she cares about is whether or not her food stamp card burned? All I can do at this point is beg for forgiveness because the thoughts that are in my heart for this woman are not good ones. The firefighters and the neighbors shown are in varying states of disbelief or sorrow, but not good ol' auntie! One is quoted as saying "they were like ragdolls" when they were carried from the home. Two young lives, horribly injured, and she is worried about her food stamp card?? One of the first things that went through my mind is that I hope she chokes on food bought with that food stamp card, and that I hope she's at home alone when she does! That is wrong of me. I should not feel that way toward this woman, or anyone for that matter. It is not my place to judge. She will be judged by God, as she should be.

Sometimes it is very difficult to step back and realize that God works in God's time. God's time and our time do not always coincide. It is not our place to pass judgment, for we don't know the complete story. Even if we did know the complete story, it is still not ours to judge. I guess what hurts the most is the complete and utter disregard for human life that she shows. A two minute video clip cannot begin to show a full picture of an individual, and while it does seem that at times they are indeed designed to highlight the worst, it is just horrific to realize where she places the importance of things. THINGS. Not people. THINGS.

Things can be replaced. People cannot. What does it say for us as a society when more importance is placed on what we have or what we own than who we are? It has been said that character is who you are when no one is watching. Thanks to the rapid news of today, the world will see this woman's concern for her food stamp card, not the lives of her nephews. Last week it was "balloon boy," this week, "food stamp card lady." What will we see next?

Lord, please give me the ability to listen and understand. Remind me that YOU are the source of all strength, and that you will never fail. Please help us to turn around and realize that WE NEED YOU! Give us the eyes to see that slipping away from you only puts us further into the mire. You gave us Jesus, your son, so that we may have eternal life. Please let us see that life is a gift from you not to be squandered. Money, possessions, and food stamp cards won't go with us to heaven ... we need to realize that your greatest gift is LIFE!

"On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house."~Ezekiel 23:39 NIV