Life isn’t stagnant, that’s for sure. Things are constantly changing and in flux all around us. Sometimes, the changes are nearly imperceptible. Other times, they happen in the blink of an eye.
In the 1930s, you could pay for a tank of gas from the spare change in your pocket. A gallon of gasoline was $0.16. Prices held steady and slowly increased over time. Today, prices can change $0.25 or more in just the time it takes you to drive from one end of town to the other, looking for the better price. At the time of writing this devotional, average gas prices in Ohio were $3.155. What might surprise us is that based on the current inflationary rate, gas is cheaper NOW than it was back then. $0.16 then is the equivalent of $3.43 today. Console yourself with that the next time you go to the pump!
Consider the cost of delivering a baby. Forbes magazine says that the average cost is $18,865. If it makes you feel any better, your out-of-pocket cost averages $2,854.1 Going back a number of years, health insurance didn’t come on the scene until 1929. By the 1940s, only 9.3% of the population had health insurance,2 meaning that most people who went to the hospital to have a baby had to pay the entire bill themselves. The cost? According to a sales receipt dated February 4, 1943, the total bill was $29.50. Figuring for inflation, that would be $525.91 today.3 Unlike gasoline, medical costs have far surpassed the inflationary rate.
Some changes have been exceptionally good. Consider the size of the donut hole. In 1948, this must have been a big selling point to demonstrate how donuts have changed through the year. In a picture, a salesman has a nice, professionally made poster. Using his pointer, he shows that the size of a donut hole in 1927 was 1 ½ inches. Within 10 years, it had shrunk to 7/8 inches. And, by 1948, the hole became the standard at 3/8 inches. That means when you purchase a donut today from Krispy Kreme, you are getting more donut than hole!
Change is inevitable. You can’t get away from it. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. Change is going to create days that will make you feel as if you are on the roiling waters of the Bering Sea. As the water churns, so does your stomach and you wish you could get off the ride.
As we come to church today, this should be a soothing, calming time. Collectively, we reflect on the God and Savior who never changes. Consider these verses that bring us stability.
Psalms 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
Psalms 102:25-27 “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. (26) They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (27) But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Hebrews 1:10-12 “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Life is going to be full of change but there is One who stands unchangeable. Take comfort in Him today.
1https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/average-childbirth-cost/
2https://www.bing.com/search?q=how+many+people+had+health+insurance+in+1940s&toWww=1&redig=566BB8C258F1435888050631D8942EE0
3https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for any purposes.
