In a financial wilderness.

Escaping slavery in Egypt to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, Israel depended on God to provide for their basic needs. God put the Red Sea between Israel and their past while providing food, water, and directions to develop a new mindset, a mindset focused on God to reach the Promised Land. While this history offers us great insight into the character of God and the history of a nation, it can also be applied to us today in everyday life.  

If we relate this story to our finances or the economic conditions of our communities. Many of us are in a financial wilderness, living paycheck to paycheck with little to no savings, and do not see that situation changing anytime soon. This experience is not new but seems to have been passed from one generation to the next. We see the Promise Land, but it is inhabited by everyone else. The attributes of a community in a financial wilderness include:  

Unhealthy mindsets related to money.

The prevalence of low-wage work.

Limited access to financial tools, capacity, and resources.

Limited transportation options and fewer jobs nearby.

Thinner and patchier nonprofit safety nets.

Limited capacity among local governments

Lagging philanthropic resources.

Boy, that is a lot, and like all wilderness, it can seem too vast. However, if we are to learn anything from Israel in the wilderness, changing the mindset that needs to happen first.  

To move out of the wilderness, it is essential to first check and potentially change your mindset related to money and resources. Here are a few resources to assist with that. You can get a lot of free information on these websites; however, there is a charge for the more in-depth content. ChangeMakers is currently reviewing these sites to provide to our new Eve-conomics group beginning in September 2021.  

Live Richer Academy https://livericheracademy.com/

The Fiscal Femme https://thefiscalfemme.com/

CleverGirl Finance https://www.clevergirlfinance.com/

RamseySolutions https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus

I am sure you noticed that three of the four resources targeted female audiences. At ChangeMakers, we are about identifying high-leverage change, and research has shown that improving women's lives creates generational change for both women and men.