Our country celebrated its first official Labor Day way back in 1894.
Taking place the first Monday in September, it also marks the unofficial end of summer. Officially, the fall season won’t arrive until September 23rd, so we can still enjoy the season for a few more weeks. Keep the grills going 🙂
Sadly, we got a bit of news that should put a damper on things. Today the government announced that our unemployment rate stands at 9.1%, or 14 million people out of work.
Unfortunately, we know that the true number is much higher. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers would have to create 300,000 new jobs per month for the next ten years in order to clear the backlog of unemployed and underemployed.
I guess this means that if you have a good job right now, consider yourself very, very lucky. Yes, that’s reason to celebrate, but our celebrations should be tempered by the fact that so many people are out of work this weekend.
As we move into this three-day holiday, let’s not lose sight of the many people, maybe within our own families, who are really hurting right now. If you’re the praying type (I hope you are!), then by all means let’s lift some prayers up to God, asking for wisdom to resolve this great problem.
Most churches collect food to distribute to the poor. This would be a great weekend to clear out some of our extra canned goods and bring them to church with us. Take those clothes you haven’t worn for a while to your local Good Will. The point is, we can do something. Actually, we should do something to help. Each and every one of us. Make a difference in someone’s life this weekend, even if it’s just a can of food or an old sweater.
