I imagine that being alone and not having a roof overhead or food on the table is one of the most frightening feelings one can experience. How awful it must feel to be forced to give up your home because, despite efforts to get a higher-paying job, the minimum wage just isn’t cutting it.
A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford shelter and food while working full-time jobs (and often more than one). The struggle is made more challenging because affordable housing and minimum wages do not line up. Jobs that pay fair wages and offer adequate health insurance are increasingly rare.
What can we do to make ourselves more aware of the plight of women caught in a system that oppresses? Well, we can start by looking to the Bible. There are a great number of verses in the Bible that talk about money. In the areas where Scriptural reference may not address specific questions, God gave us the ability to think, reason, learn and act compassionately.
This message is adapted from “Getting By?” written by Gayle Aldrich in the March 2005 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine. She suggests reading Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich to learn more.