06/06/2026
Banker
May 3rd, 2026
“You just count money all day.”
I hear this all the time.
“Must be nice.” “Get a real job!” “Go do something productive!”
I invite you to tell that to Mary.
She sat across my desk,
tears in her eyes as she drove to the bank
ready to give birth to the death of her marriage.
Two names, one account
One already withdrew their company and their money,
leaving her with a child who would know hunger and heartbreak.
Tell it to Jesus
with passport trembling in hand as he begs through broken English
“Need bank account?”
His deposit the key to treasure,
fed babies and happy mom the measure.
What about Carol and John?
Their life savings emptied into a phone
A phone that rang for days and now rings again.
“It’s your grandson, I’m in trouble. Send money or I’ll be hurt.”
Last week they’d win the lottery if they played along. The week before they’d lose the house if they didn’t comply.
Now with sobs and shattered dreams I get to tell them their future was taken too.
Tell Luke too!
His smile beams as he fulfills his dream.
A new house and new business
two wishes granted and a third on the way.
He believes I’m the genie but I’m just the lamp.
For every bill that flows through my hand, so too does a smile, a laugh, tears, a death certificate, a crying baby, a new house, last hope, the failure of a dream not realized.
I count life, daily. There’s no counter to help either. Each day I balance on the account of life and death, hope and fear. Your deposit from selling the car sits together with the withdrawal of the final memory of a loved one. A house payment of a family cherished and well lived sits below the credit card payment from someone who can’t feed their children but can’t let their credit be hurt so they can possibly borrow more in the future.
“You count money all day.”
Yeah, I do.
Every dollar. Every story. Every life.
