Cheaper Hotdogs

Once there was a street vender who made a good living selling hotdogs from a cart in New York City. He made enough so that he sent his son to Harvard where he got a Masters degree in business. When the son graduated, he came back home and studied his father’s hotdog stand. “Pop,” the son told his dad, “You are not charging enough for your hotdogs. You need to raise the price.” Dad tried to argue, but the son reminded him that times were hard. “Okay son,” Dad said, “You are the one with the business education.”

A week later the son gave more advice to his dad, “Pop,” he said, “You need to use cheaper hotdogs. It will increase your profits without having to raise your sales.” Again the dad argued, but the educated son prevailed, “Pop, times are hard.” The dad bought cheaper hotdogs and raised his prices. Sure enough times got hard.

Some folks always see the wind chill instead of the actually temperature. It is never 30 degrees; it is a wind chill of 15. It is never 100 degrees; it is a heat index of 115. Now the “let’s put the most negative spin we can on everything” people are after the economy. Commentators are all over the media pointing out that we have the worse economy since the great depression. Hogwash! According to a recent wall Street Journal survey of 56 economic forecasters, the jobless rate for December of 2008 is 6.8%. In 1992 the jobless rate hit 7.8%. In 82-83 the jobless rate hit 10.8%. In 1975 the jobless rate hit 9%.

Deliver me from the negative, nay-saying, “sky is falling” kind of people. Paul urged Christians, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).

Any old heathen can follow the counsel of Philippians 4:8 when things are going great. Christians can think on good things even when the jobless rate is 6.8%. They can even think good things when the jobless rate is what it was in the Great Depression, 25.6%.

We do not need to buy cheaper hotdogs; we need to follow Philippians 4:8.

                                                                           ~Lonnie Davis

Nov 16, 2008

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