I just got in a 3 hour long fight with my roommate, who is also one of my best friends, because he ate my 99 cent sundae from McDonalds that had been in the freezer for almost a week...
I picked the fight, essentially, by legitimately getting mad about it and texting him. The thing is, what we finally concluded after both of us cussing, him throwing me into a car, and both of us nearly walking away from a 10-year relationship was that we were fighting for the EXACT SAME reason... it got to that point because money is TIGHT.
That 99 cent sundae was going to be my retreat, I had just spent my last 2 dollars on some dollar menu sonic burgers, and I had had a brutal day. I came home to sit and wallow in my self pity over some ice cream and a movie by myself. I had talked to an old boss of mine that basically said it is going to be incredibly difficult to find a job in the PR/Advertising business right now, even with the best resume in the world and a brand new degree... no one is hiring. I had seen an ex-fling that brought back all these frustrations with relationships, and I couldn't even go have a beer to forget about it all.
What happened to the days when getting a degree opened doors? It used to be an accomplishment that assured your financial security as a single, young 20-something and would allow you to live well and make your first big purchases... car, apartment, stocked fridge, money for dates, the whole nine yards. Now I'm kept up at night fearing the day I graduate when I have 6 months before the student loan bills start rolling in along on top of rent and everything else. The recession is stealing the joy of the millenial generation in more ways than even WE realize.
I have never been a fighter, I'm a talker... my roommate is the physical one. Therefore, when he said I was nickel and diming him, I got frustrated and wanted to fight it out, and so did he.
The real tole of a recession they don't teach you in studying the depression is the desperation for answers, and the strain it puts on relationships. A twenty dollar overage charge on your heating bill actually means you can't eat anything but Ramon this week. It means that everyone around the table is non-verbally begging someone else at the table to say "This round is on me..."
I have searched and searched for someone with answers- blogs, TV, politics, family... no one knows what to do.
So the only place left to turn is Christ. Solomon had it right in Ecclesiastes when he said, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Ecc. 12:13
I heard John Piper say that these are the times when God proves his promises to us, and that when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13), he means that he can be poor or rich, comfortable or barely scraping by, loved by all or completely alone, successful or a complete failure... because Christ is his strength. I am really hard to swallow that, but in reality, I'm choking on it.
So, even though we all react differently, we are all going through the same thing... and we have to encourage each other. We were both wrong, but I started it. I am going to pray like crazy that I become the kind of man that can lead people, no matter the circumstances, and that I can understand that "hurt" and "pain" takes many forms... and "walking" with Christ, means loving people HARD, with everything you got and everything He is.
When this is over, I want to be able to say... I loved my friends through it all, I fought the fight, and I know He is with me.
