An Instructive Moment About Our Father

I know most people relate to the prodigal in this story more than the other, but I always relate more to the older brother. Still do, alot.

It took me forever to understand that there was anything wrong with how the older brother acted. Why shouldnt he be mad? No one even bothered going and getting him out of the field to tell him his brother was home. They didnt even wait for him for the party. And then they want him to go in and be happy?

Guess you can tell Im the older child. Im the good one, the smart one, the pretty one... the responsible one. My sister is the baby. She was born 3 months premature. She always seemed to have it easy. They cuddled and coddled her. There were no high expectations. I could never understand why if I did everything right, I got (what seemed like then) such minimal praise b/c that was what was expected of me, but if my sister did anything remotely right, it was highly celebrated.

Maturity and becoming a parent myself has prevailed. I can see now what the big deal was, and how selfish I was at the time as well. But.... as human nature sometimes does, those thought still sneak up on me every once in awhile, when I read this story.

I guess that is also why Ive thought of myself more of a Pharisee than a prodigal in the church sense too... I was saved very young, grown up in church, in a Christian home and a Christian school. I never really had the chance to rebel, nor really wanted it. I enjoyed being the good one. But it also made me prideful in my knowledge. Still does at times. I still work to break those chains of bondage of religion.

*You know it just occured to me that starting this book club we all had alot of the same ways of writing and takes on the stories... we all have developed very specific ways of posting.... mine always seem to be very personal and how they relate to the past or present for me, Claire gives a wonderful insight into the story itself and all the little history points that most of us didnt know, CJ usually thinks outside the box and gives a totally fresh approach, and Julie puts its all out there from the viewpoint of a person on fire and a new Christian....

** also I must admit that this probably is not one of my best entries... my heart and mind are somewhere else today.... one of the babies that I pray for passed away yesterday, and he was starting to really show signs of improvement, so I am sincerely grieving today for him and his family (a mother, father and older brother about 3)... please pray for Micah's family, this will be a hard struggle for them, I am so thankful that they are so close to God right now....