Ghost Fleet

Reports are appearing of a "ghost fleet" off the Singapore coast: 12% of shipping charters are currently redundant and many are being "parked" together out of public view... a further symptom of the current global economy, and a sign of possible stock issues on our shelves in the months to come...

As one reporter puts it:

"These empty ships should be carrying Christmas [stock] over to the West. All retailers will have already ordered their stock for the festive season long ago... much of it should be on its way here if it is going to make it to the shelves before Christmas.

'We will find out at Christmas whether there are enough PlayStations in the shops or not. There will certainly be fewer goods coming in to Britain during the run-up to Christmas.' "

...But you know what? This should be a good lesson for us all. It's all just stuff, and as much as I like "stuff" - Wii, PC, DVD's and so on - I should never let that dictate my security in life. Unfortunately, many others do. I'm determined that I and my family find our security in the King of the universe:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places."

(Hab 3.17-19, ESV)