A Short Story for the Executives at Ford

Just this past week Ford announced that they would be laying off 10,000 employees and offering buy outs to 75,000 more. Well, I'd like to share a little short story with the executives of Ford.

In the biblical days there was a man named Joseph. Joseph's brothers became angry with him and sold him into slavery. Joseph was a very wise man having been taught very well by his father Jacob. He also had the favor of God on his life. To make a long story short, Joseph was eventually placed in a position of authority after he was able to interpret the dream of Pharoah.

Here was Pharoah's dream (Genesis 41: 1-7):

1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.

2And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass.

3Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.

4The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.

5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.

6Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.

7The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

Now here is what Joseph says that the dream means (Genesis 41: 25-31):

25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

26"The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.

27"The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.

28"It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

29"Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt;

30and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land.

31"So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.

This story is indicative of the cycle that both Ford and General Motors have experienced for years. For many years they have great abundance followed by years of famine. Then the cycle seems to repeat itself. So my advice to Ford executives, is to follow the advice that Joseph gave to Pharoah (Genesis 41: 34-36).

34"Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.

35"Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it.

36"Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine."

The time will come again when Ford will prosper, and have an abundance. Instead of overspending, why not take that money and set up a reserve knowing surely that a time of famine will come around again? Just a little advice.