For goodness sake, Blogger has a worse memory than I! I've told it my user name enough times and asked it to remember, but does it? Does it heckaslike.
Anyway, I wanted to think about Zac's last night before I wrote anything.
First thing: I joined in the discussion! Now that might not seem like much but it's a big deal for me. I talk a lot on here but in real life, I'm a shy little thing. I think i was helped by a quote I read on Winston's blog. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr Seuss) (??)
It's something I've told myself before but reading that just kick-started me to think it again, so thank you, Winston.
At Zac's, we were looking at things that were lost and found, like the sheep, the coin and the son - the prodigal. In that last story, younger son takes his half of the inheritance, goes off, blows it and ends up crawling home to dad, who is thrilled and throws a party for him. When older brother comes home from work, where he has been every day while younger bro has been living it up, he is, to quote Jenny, 'pissed off'.
Jenny and I were in a minority last night as we fully understood older brother's feelings, and felt it wasn't fair. It was suggested that the older brother's motives might have been suspect: he might have stayed home and worked out of a sense of duty rather than love; he was jealous of younger brother; and so on. Again all reasonable emotions and don't necessarily make him a bad man, but, as was pointed out, this was a parable - a made-up story - Jesus told, and, as such, had hidden meanings.
Okay, that's fair enough, but Lucy and I were still a bit hmmm about it.
Then I remembered the story of the farmer who employed men to work in his fields. Some started at 9 o'clock; others turned up and lunchtime and were employed; still more turned up at 4 o'clock and were given work. At the end of the day, they were all given the same pay. Now every time I read this story I want to shout, 'That's not fair!'
It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed last night - and I'd switched off the computer or I would have written it then - that I had this flash!!
God's not fair.
If he were fair, and playing by our rules, I'd have been given a red card and sent off long ago. But he's not fair; he's playing by his rules. If I want to benefit from that,then I have to allow others to as well: I have to play by his rules.
Thank God for that.
Anyway, I wanted to think about Zac's last night before I wrote anything.
First thing: I joined in the discussion! Now that might not seem like much but it's a big deal for me. I talk a lot on here but in real life, I'm a shy little thing. I think i was helped by a quote I read on Winston's blog. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr Seuss) (??)
It's something I've told myself before but reading that just kick-started me to think it again, so thank you, Winston.
At Zac's, we were looking at things that were lost and found, like the sheep, the coin and the son - the prodigal. In that last story, younger son takes his half of the inheritance, goes off, blows it and ends up crawling home to dad, who is thrilled and throws a party for him. When older brother comes home from work, where he has been every day while younger bro has been living it up, he is, to quote Jenny, 'pissed off'.
Jenny and I were in a minority last night as we fully understood older brother's feelings, and felt it wasn't fair. It was suggested that the older brother's motives might have been suspect: he might have stayed home and worked out of a sense of duty rather than love; he was jealous of younger brother; and so on. Again all reasonable emotions and don't necessarily make him a bad man, but, as was pointed out, this was a parable - a made-up story - Jesus told, and, as such, had hidden meanings.
Okay, that's fair enough, but Lucy and I were still a bit hmmm about it.
Then I remembered the story of the farmer who employed men to work in his fields. Some started at 9 o'clock; others turned up and lunchtime and were employed; still more turned up at 4 o'clock and were given work. At the end of the day, they were all given the same pay. Now every time I read this story I want to shout, 'That's not fair!'
It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed last night - and I'd switched off the computer or I would have written it then - that I had this flash!!
God's not fair.
If he were fair, and playing by our rules, I'd have been given a red card and sent off long ago. But he's not fair; he's playing by his rules. If I want to benefit from that,then I have to allow others to as well: I have to play by his rules.Thank God for that.
2 comments:
I suspect that God has the same world view as myself- mostly polite disinterest...
Some times, life's not fair, but it the only one we have. Sit back and enjoy.
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