Think of Others

I was raised in a small, Georgia town whose health depended on two manufacturing plants. There was the cotton mill on the west side of town and the aluminum plant on the east side. During my years, both thrived and were visible in the community. There was the mill village that included a baseball field where I played little league. My first "real" job was working in the maintenance department of the aluminum plant.

My father owned a furniture store in town and only made money on factory pay days. I never knew how dependent he was on these employers until they both closed. First, the mill departed. That entire side of town literally dried up. The ball field sprouted weeds and the houses began to rot. There was no reason to travel there. The aluminum factory lasted a bit longer but eventually closed.

My father's business held on for as long as it could but the doors inevitably shut. There were others that suffered a similar fate as the supply of money vanished with the exiting manufacturing plants.

I wish I had the wisdom then that I do now to appreciate what happened to my hometown. For I see it all around me as plant closings and layoffs seem to be a daily occurrence. In our area, there have been job losses in Walterboro, Holly Hill, North Charleston, Georgetown, Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, and Johnsonville.

In this Christmas season, we should be mindful of what we have and give thanks for all our blessings. We should seek opportunities to give of our physical and spiritual resources. Cynically, this sounds cliche because we hear this so often. But I urge you to practice it.

Many of you reading this work in Manufacturing or directly support Manufacturing companies. Give your prayers to these communities-the leaders, churches, and employees that have a reason to be sad right now but should not because it all shall pass. God is always with us. In the good times and bleak times, he stands next to us ready to grasp our hand to lead us in our very own path.