Pity Party

I have been known to throw a pity party every now and then.  What is a pity part you may ask?  Well, a pity part is when I think I have been wronged or feel down on myself or someone criticizes me in way that belittles me.  For some reason this past weekend into the beginning of this week has made me want to throw a pity part for myself.  And I have done just that.  I have been sulking around wanting to drown others in my sorrow.  Nothing profitable happens during these times, and I only get worse and worse in my depression until something or someone shakes me out of it.  This morning I came to my quiet time in the midst of one of these pity parties.

Verses 17-20 stuck out to me, they say this: When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

These verses stood out to me because of what I have been reading in Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son.   The first three chapters focus solely on the Prodigal Son.  In the chapter I read this morning it struck me that the Prodigal was throwing himself a pity party.  He saw that he was not in the best of surroundings and became thoroughly depressed.  He lost sight of who he really was, a son of the Father, and focused on what he was doing.  When he returned he did not even think he was worth anything.  Granted, it was his choices that lead him to feel this way, and it was his immaturity and sinfulness that lead him to waste his life away.  He forgot his true identity and thought himself less.

Today I need to remember that I am a son of the Father.  No matter what I do, where I go, who I meet; God will always accept me back.  I can waste my life away and spend all my money on things that will not last; yet God will still forgive and restore me.  I cannot lose sight of that.  But, it should not be an excuse for sinning though.  I will desire to seek God more and figure out what it means to be His son. 

Interesting thoughts from the Prodigal.  I am still in Luke 15, and I will be for a while.  Talk to you soon!

In His service, Crazy Pete