When The Closing Bell Rings
By: Maxine M.

Excitement builds as investors anticipate Wall Street’s opening bell
What will the TREND be for today…will it be BUY or SELL?
Fortunes made and lost…Remember October, how fast it fell?

For with daily trading, The Market’s volatile ups and downs are shown
Economic news, the election, company profits all affect that investor on the phone
In fear and anxiety, they ponder “do we risk speculation on the unknown?

But no matter what drama the trading today brings
The ups of the START can be wiped out when the final bell rings
All the promise of fortune suddenly took wings

But isn’t this a “picture” of how we live all our life long
SOME start life neglected, abused, in poverty, everything going wrong
But SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE find the fortitude to finish strong

OTHER’S beginnings are happy, secure, privileged and blest
But end up in moral decline once they leave the family nest
For a WRONG LIFE STYLE can bring you DOWN…as many country songs can attest

God shares examples of strong leaders who FELL at their day’s end…like Solomon & Saul
Wicked Hamon, with powerful position next to the King…in one day, from a gallous, would fall
Or Judas, who walked daily with our Lord…in the end, He totally dropped the ball

But then consider those poor uneducated fishermen, in whom God’s Holy Spirit He would install
Young, innocent, virgin Mary EXALTED when she answered God’s call
All these from small & humble obscurity, ended life standing tall

Now, some days the Markets start strong, FADE DRASTICALLY, only to make a nice rebound
John Mark is a life example of how a mid-life failure CAN lead to solid spiritual ground
For the Bible declares a “good foundation” can OVERCOME youth’s foolishness…finish strong and sound

In this time of economic confusion, all eyes are fixed on today’s Market report
Should you, as an investor, stick with the long term plan or quickly abort?
But MORE IMPORTANTLY, we need to look at OUR LIFE…which can easily be cut short

IF it ended today!!...how would the final tally sheet read?
Perhaps a strong start…but then BANKRUPT now in this final hour of need
Or show a “WAYWARD” life…rejuvenated when the Call to Salvation you’d finally heed

In retrospect, we see when Jesus walked the earth, MANY followed…but later turned away
But the thief on the cross ACCEPTED Him in the final hours of his day
Claiming for himself the Assurance of Heaven…with ALL who trust and obey

So, as TOMORROW’S Market futures look to the message the closing bell sends
We see the most important thing ISN’T how well you did amid life’s curves and bends
What REALLY MATTERS is…Did you come to and accept Christ BEFORE it ends