What Planet is – Mars or Somewhere Else?

Last updated on May 18, 2025

Sometimes I wonder if I live on Mars and not on Earth. When I look at the stock market, which is up several hundred points today, knowing there is nothing to sustain it or a valid reason for its rise, I wonder who is buying. Is it the government? With businesses closing everywhere, deflation in personal income affecting almost everyone (whether through furloughs, forced days off from work, or other means, but it’s still lost income), people losing their jobs, and home foreclosure rates at an all-time high, it doesn’t make sense. And the government telling me that the recession is over makes me even edgier. Is this the new norm? Is this what the future holds for my children and me?

I no longer believe the statistics put out by the government. I’m not even sure there’s anybody I trust in Washington. I feel violated, angry, and helpless to do anything that will make a difference.

And then there is always that one person who thinks everything is terrific and the current president is the best thing that has happened to America. I suppose if I were receiving those government handouts, I might agree. Sometimes when I caption, I think I will scream if you mention one more “free” program I might qualify for. Why do people feel like they need something or deserve something “free” from the government? What happened to hard work and sacrifice?

All those “free” programs are not free. They cost somebody something. And I can tell you this: they didn’t come from the Washington bureaucrats’ retirement. They came out of hard-working people’s pockets like you and me, who get up in the morning, go to work, and earn a paycheck by sweat, blood, and sacrifice. And charity—I am all for charity and giving. But the government’s giving of my money is not charity. It’s theft.

I suppose I’ve ranted long enough. When I become depressed over the news I caption each day, I remind myself that I have much for which to be thankful. I need to put my hope in the only one who deserves my adoration and commitment—my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is for such a time as this that we are here to be a witness to the world. To put our faith and trust in man is futile.

My heavenly Father also gently reminds me that He put those officials in power. None of this craziness in Washington has surprised Him, and His purposes, thoughts, and plans are higher than mine. “Be still and know that I am God” is what He commands us to do.

As a young wife abandoned by her husband, who gladly took on the task of raising two orphans from Asia as a single mom, I take comfort that God will not leave me or forsake me. I can turn to Him to be my provider and comforter, no matter the tribulations that may beset our country, and I believe dark days are ahead, maybe even a depression.

Our Christian testimony may be all some will ever see. We can be a light in the darkness, a beacon on a hill. We can speak a word of encouragement to those who are broken and pray for the lost. We can get up in the morning and thank God that He is unchanging. The sun still rises, our cats purr when we scratch their ear, and our dogs wag their tail when we give them an occasional bone. And today, at least, the sky isn’t green. If I were a betting woman, I’m sure it won’t be tomorrow either. God keeps order in His world. Some things don’t change.

I urge you to pray for our country, those in leadership, and God’s wisdom in the voting booth in the upcoming elections. God pours out His love for us with good things when we ask, and we need great discernment for the days ahead. Dangerous times abound, and the enemy is working overtime. Our future as a nation may be in peril, but the one who holds our future is sure and trustworthy. And for that, I am thankful.