An ancient account tells of a king who was warned in a dream that his land would face seven years of great plenty, followed by seven years of devastating famine. Guided by this advice, the king wisely built storehouses throughout his kingdom and stockpiled vast amounts of grain during the seven years of abundant harvest. When the seven-year famine came, the king was ready.
Here is where irony enters this story: it seems the king forgot to warn his subjects of the coming famine; and the people didn’t seem to ask any questions when vast royal granaries were built in every city and filled with outrageous quantities of grain.
The famine hit hard all across the region. Soon, there was no grain to be found… except at the royal granaries. At first, the people bought bread from the royal supply with money, but soon, the people had no more money. When they complained to the royal officials that they were out of money, the officials told them they would gladly take payment in livestock. For a while, the people traded away their flocks and herds, which they couldn’t afford to feed anyway, in exchange for more of the royal bread. The day came when all the livestock in the land was property of the king. Again, the people were hungry. So the king generously accepted their land and their persons as payment for feeding them for the remainder of the famine. When you’re facing starvation, you can’t haggle prices.
The king moved the people off of their mortgaged ancestral lands, housed them in cities, and socialized the agricultural industry of his nation at a modest 20% tax. In the aftermath of the famine, he owned the land and the people, lock, stock, and barrel. (Hooray for gun-related English figures of speech!) The crisis had not been wasted.*
As I write this, the world is in turmoil over the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the United States, businesses are shut down, workers are laid off, and most citizens virtually confined to home, under civil and criminal penalty in many cases. The same economy that for the last several years was breaking records in growth has lately been breaking records in volatility. The assurances Americans continue to hear from leaders across the political spectrum is that somehow, some way, their government will bail them out. Literally relax, stay home, and look for the check in the mail.
Rather than try to address the dangerous and ironic fallacies of hoping for government to fix our cash problems, I’d like to take a moment to encourage us in some positive directions as we look beyond the current situation. Without belittling anyone’s suffering, I think there are valuable lessons we can all take away from the pandemic, and be stronger as individuals, families, communities, and a nation in the wake of this mess.
1. Save money for a rainy day.
Spend less than you make. Live within your means. Pay yourself first. It seems cliche, but many Americans seem to have forsaken the “puritanical” values that built the greatest economy and freest society in history, and bought into the “have it now, pay later” anti-philosophy. According to nerdwallet.com, the average American household is carrying over $137,000 dollars in debt, which is shocking when you consider how many families don’t have mortgages.** The average American household is carrying about $7,000 in revolving credit card debt, which accrues interest at a staggering average of 15% APR, per the Federal Reserve.***
Talk about running in the red! I realize many of us work long hours at tough jobs just to get by, but the truth is that for many, living paycheck to paycheck, up to the ears in debt, has become a way of life. We need to start seeing this kind of fiscal irresponsibility as a form of slavery, and remind ourselves of the enduring value of freedom. Otherwise, we will be first in line to accept a bailout at any cost, no matter who is offering it.
2. Stockpile to be generous.
The opposite of the crazed hoarder who grabs ten years’ supply of toilet paper in the middle of a crisis is the wise man or woman who habitually maintains their supply of household essentials to a level where they not only are provisioned for the length of a crisis, but able to give to those who are in need. I am not advocating for socialism here, but we all know the difference between an authority telling you what’s yours isn’t yours, and you willingly sharing your hard-earned worldly goods with your friends, neighbors, and even strangers in need. When we’re blessed with extra, we should be looking for ways to pay it forward. It’s an American value that’s being threatened by the government-check mentality.
3. Have a plan.
We can’t anticipate every possible disaster, but we do have a responsibility to prepare ourselves and those we love for contingencies. Having fire extinguishers, candles, flashlights, and batteries in your home just makes sense. Educating your children about strange people and dangerous situations is your responsibility, not a teacher’s. Learning to listen to your own intuitive safety sense in the public sphere and staying plugged in instead of burying yourself in your handheld device is a lifesaving habit.
While I’m at it–why not–I’ll throw a plug out there for defensive training. Shouldn’t surprise anyone. How many Americans buy a gun, stick it in a nightstand drawer, (or lock it away in a safe, unloaded), and somehow feel safer in their beds at night? How many ladies attend a one-night self-defense class, practice a few “moves”, and walk away thinking they are somehow equipped to fight off an attacker? If you aren’t regularly training your defensive system: tactical-spatial awareness, combat profiling, firearms, and hand to hand combatives, your confidence is probably a placebo, a magic feather, a security blank– …you get the idea. If we truly believe that violence is among the present dangers that stalk our world, and if we count ourselves among those who will not cower before the wolf when he comes, then we must commit ourselves to discipline, study, and training, so that when our moment comes, we will have done everything in our power to prevail.
*Taken from Genesis, Chapters 41 and 47
**https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/average-credit-card-debt-household/