God loves whiners.

The readings this morning at church really resonated with me.

In the first reading, Jonah, that world class whiner, sat under a tree and moped. Here was a guy on an important mission from God. He rejected the Lord's message and got gulped down by a whale. He repented, and was puked back up. Then when he went to Ninevah he just absolutely couldn't stand to see the Ninevites receive God's blessing after they repented. Sort of like my kids respond when one feels the other was not properly punished for some perceived misbehavior or other.

In the Gospel, Jesus told the parables of the workers. You remember, the ones who agreed to be paid a fair wage for a day's work, and then grumbled when the latecomers took home the same pay packet? You could almost hear them whining "But... but... it's not faaaaaiiiiirrrrr!" Again, it resonated.

Chip chose to focus his sermon on how God turns the world upside down-- mercy instead of punishment, gentleness instead of judgment, those who should come last being jumped to the front of the line.

I, on the other hand, would have taken a different tact.

As I listened to the readings, I found myself sympathizing with God, and realizing how very often I fall short of the Lord I am called to follow. The Psalm response--The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love--convicted me, because while I'd like to believe that the love for my family is steadfast, I know in my heart how quick I am to anger.

I find it beautiful that one of the ways God chooses to reveal Himself is as a parent. And I look at myself and realize that, while I am called to mother my children in the same way He mothers me, I am more often like the whining child, the whinging worker, who wants everything to be fair, and everyone to be punished... except, of course, for me. And I am so thankful for His example, and that of His Blessed Mother, His steadfast love and great mercy.