ONE

We Americans are all caught up in our work and the struggle to pay our bills and buy food and take care of our families just one more day.

We see the government making life harder and making us less free.

We see our enemies advancing unchecked, threatening to kill us, and killing us, and making us scared.

We are all caught up in fear and anger, because we can’t do anything about it, and because those who are supposed to lead in defending us have betrayed us instead.

TWO

We Americans are all caught up in discouragement because we now see we may never get caught up, personally and nationally.

Personal hopes and dreams are too much risk, because there is too much uncertainty in the future (and the present).

The recession recovery is a joke.

The constitution and decent moral values are trashed.

The democratic process and the 2016 election have a heavy, dark cloud hanging over everything.

The powers in Washington are taking us to a point of no return, and soon we can never get caught up.

THREE

More and more Christians are saying our only hope is we’ll get caught up to be with Jesus soon.

Tough to comment on that, but I will.

I could see those words on my tombstone, “ALL CAUGHT UP.”

I believe Jesus is coming back to take me to heaven, with all faithful Christians, one way or the other, rapture or death, maybe martyrdom.

I believe it will be worth it all then!!!!!

But what about now, since we have no control and no say on God’s timing?

What if you take the thought, “ALL CAUGHT UP,” and strip away everything associated with living in America.

—no more rat race

—no more worry about retirement

—no more worry about stuff to keep insured

—no more wasted effort for entertainment

—no more privileges of the top five percent in the world

Would that be a relief?

Would that change the meaning of “ALL CAUGHT UP”?

Yes.

 

I might imagine life going back a few decades, or a century or two—maybe to pioneer days.

Life was hard, death was ever present, uncertainty was real, danger was clear.

Sounds like today.

But values and faith and family and community were strong and stable and dependable, and were passed on intact.

 

I know when one starts talking this way, people say you can’t go back, and the “good old days” weren’t perfect.

But a couple thoughts that count:

An EMP or power grid failure could, and likely will, send us back instantly.

Anything we face now must get us all caught up in seeking God for help, but first for forgiveness and a real relationship with Jesus.

Any way the world goes from here, we have to have Jesus and hold close to Him, hold close to the Bible, and hold close to others who do so.