So, DOES money buy happiness?

I guess we can't get away from the whole Jon and Kate saga. I stopped watching the show when the new season began, because it was just too depressing to watch. But this morning the news reported that the couple has filed for divorce. I've thought about it throughout the day. I prayed for them, because the breakup of their marriage breaks my heart. It's made me think about how life can change from one moment to the next.

When the show started, it was about a family that, by most accounts, was normal. Yes, they have 2 sets of multiples. Yes, they have a set of sextuplets. Yes, it's a total of 8 children. But in most aspects, they were a regular family. They lived in a nice home, a bit tight but manageable. Dad went out to work each day to pay the bills. Mom looked for ways to save money, like clipping coupons and buying on sale. She looked for ways to prepare nutritious meals for her family. They had laundry, and cleaning, and discipline; they celebrated birthdays and holidays; they went to church and tried to live a life much like any other family in America, just with more children than most, 6 of them toddlers. They didn't have a lot of money, but they concentrated on finding ways to enjoy all their family had, what God provided. And as Kate mentioned in one show, they did believe that God would provide.

Fast forward to now. They have much more money than they had when the show started. The house is big enough for all the kids to get lost in. They've received all kinds of gifts, furniture, trips, vacations, upgrades to their house. So many material possessions. Yet their family has fallen apart. What happened?

Kate was quoted as saying that the breakup would have happened even without the show. That's quite possible; marriages fall apart all the time. I just think it's interesting that now, when they've achieved so much financial success, is when their marriage fails.

How many times have couples argued about money, and said, "If only we were making more money," or, "If we could only get a better paying job," or, "I wish we'd win the lottery." But if this were the solution, if money guaranteed marital bliss, Jon and Kate would be happier than they'd ever been in their lives.

One of the main reasons I stopped watching the show was because I sensed God was no longer a part of it. This was a couple who, in the beginning, talked about their faith. They trusted God to take care of their family. They mentioned it on numerous shows. But lately God was not in the mix. He was notably absent from the conversations. When the couple went to Hawaii to renew their vows, Jon was asked what he liked best about Kate's vows, and he said it was the Scriptures she quoted, to which she answered, "I didn't quote any Scripture." That very awkward moment said so much to me about their relationship with each other and with God. It was like they weren't listening to each other or to the Lord, and it gave me a very uneasy feeling. It all seemed to go downhill from there.

So, where does a couple in this situation go from here? Do we stop praying for Jon and Kate because it's over and there's no turning back? Absolutely not! My prayer is that both Jon and Kate will turn to the Lord and seek His wisdom for their marriage and their family. Money is not the answer. Fame is not the answer. If they really care about their family and their children, they will look to the One who has all the answers, the One who created marriage and family, and they will listen to Him. Jon and Kate, it's not too late.