By Greg Primm
Every now and then during a particularly tough day, I get out of the office for a few minutes just to clear my head. I’ll run down to the store and grab a soft drink or just drive and listen to the radio. It doesn’t happen often, but I use it as a way to refocus on a problem and then attack it again. Usually just 15 minutes away from a problem gives me enough perspective to come back and solve it.
Today was one of those days. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that a simple little task that should have taken 30 minutes took about 2 hours and increased my blood pressure immensely. I wasn’t just a little frustrated. We’re talking vein-popping, red-faced frustration. More than once I wanted to toss my laptop through a window. So, I hopped in the car and went for a drive.
Just down the street is a convenience store that went out of business. Nothing special about that, right? Just another casualty of a tough economy? Maybe so, but I find that this little store has a lot to say. I don’t know the owners, nor do I know exactly why the store shut down. However, the sign in front of the store gives me a good clue.
If I remember correctly, the store closed down in late September. This was when gas prices had peaked at around $3.75 in our area. Remember that? It seems so long ago. $100 for a tank of gas? That was me. It still hurts to think about it. I remember the headlines about convenience stores going under due to the high gas prices. This particular store was one of those casualties.
The store’s sign is stuck in time at $3.75 per gallon — a permanent monument to the cause of a business decline. I often wonder what would have happened if the owners had held on just a little longer. What if they had cut costs a little more, worked a little harder, asked one more time for help from the bank. Maybe they had reached the end of their rope. We’ve all got a limit, after all.
Every day we hear stories of our country’s economic troubles. People are losing jobs, losing their homes, closing businesses. At least once a week, I hear of a friend or acquaintance that has lost their job or is going through severe financial crises. What are you supposed to do if this is you?
I could give you a list of tips on how to get through tough times. You can simplify your life, focus on the important things, become a better parent, or volunteer to help others. All these things are good. The truth is, though, I don’t have many answers on how to get through tough times.
Sometimes, though, we just have to persevere and fight. What does that mean? It means sometimes you do some things that are scary, that are hard, that are less than glamorous in order to put yourself in a position to win in the long run. Dave Ramsey, the financial talk-show host, has a saying that I love: ”live like no one else so later you can live like no one else.” Translation? Sacrifice today so that you can enjoy tomorrow.
Better days are coming. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not a month from now. In fact, quick results probably won’t come. But things will get better.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)
What about the convenience store? Well, in case you don’t recall, in the 30 days after it closed gas prices dropped over $1 per gallon! By the end of November, gas prices had dropped to less than $2! Could the store owners have held on? Could they have tightened their belts one more time? I like to think that they could have. How much better off would they be now? They would have been more likely to achieve their goal of running a successful business.
All they have now is an empty building with a sign out front forever reminding me to just keep fighting, better days are almost here.
Photo credit: Greg Woodhouse
