Comments on: an open letter

By: happy blogiversery « Write About Now

happy blogiversery « Write About Now — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:22:51 +0000

[...] open letter to Tim [...]

By: Mags

Mags — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:51:46 +0000

The Prodigal Son is probably my LEAST favorite in the Bible – largely b/c I’m think of myself as the “older” brother too. I wrote about it on my “God Blog” too: http://everydayplaces.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-found-god-in-un-fairness.html

Like you, I find it a daily struggle not to be grumpy when blessings, “things,” “stuff” goes to the whiner vs. the “good” child. But I can also see the times when I’M the whiner… and still receive God’s blessings. There is another really neat article here: http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-266-23,00.html that talks about the blessings the older brother has already received. You might find it interesting as well.

Great note! Mags
everydayplaces.blogspot.com

By: Valerie Reed

Valerie Reed — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:36:29 +0000

I have always identified with the older brother. I have always felt that I was always taken for granted because I was always the “good” one and the attention was given to the one that has strayed or has done a fantastic thing. But, time after time I have been reminded that I am not good. Then I feel guilty. Then I persevere and keep on doing what I perceive is right and I become the “good” one again, at least in my eyes. Then I am once again reminded through some event or from something that someone says that I am not good, then I feel guilty etc. in an ever vicious cycle. But tenderly, through quiet time with God, through His Word and by His grace I am reminded that He is good and He loves me. And because He loves me, I am saved. I just wish I didn’t have to go through the cycle so much!

By: Robin Davis

Robin Davis — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:15:18 +0000

Okay… this is weird. I was just reading Matthew 20 a couple of days ago and had the same thoughts. It seems to me that Jesus knew that those of who have grown up in the church would have a problem with this very thing. He knows that we will have trouble wrapping our minds around the fact that everyone will experience the same grace regardless of what our life experience has been. It’s similar to the problem of pain and suffering. We worry so much about the fairness of things. I wonder how children living in poverty grow up to understand how God loves them as much as he loves my children. That’s why it was so important to Jesus for us to “get” how important it is to God how we treat the “least of these.”

We try so hard to reconcile these things. Our little minds just can’t understand God’s economy. We are hung up on cause and effect. If we work really hard and are faithful we will be more blessed. I wrestle with these thoughts everyday.

I am cursed with one of those people-pleasing personalities. As you can see, I tend to view that as a flaw. The underlying thought that is that I just want to be wanted. In my family, social, church and work life – I just want to be wanted. My head knows that I don’t need to be wanted. My heart is just aching for it. It’s not even wanting to be needed either. It all goes back to a desire to be significant to someone, anyone, everyone.

I had an epiphany a few days ago. I wonder if God plants in a few of us this desire to be wanted (maybe all of us) because he wants us to see things from his perspective. He certainly doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need to be wanted. But he did create us because he wanted us to want him. He wanted us to choose him. He wants to choose Him regardless of our circumstance. He wants us to choose him because we know him and have faith in him that in the end it will all make sense. And in the end, I really mean beginning… Heaven/eternity.

He also knows that if we think about this too much, our brains may melt.
Thanks for helping me exercise my spiritual muscle.