He Made Me

I feel sorry for people who think everything and everyone in the world is lined up against them. They must live very unhappy lives.

Adam: "The woman...she gave me some fruit."

Cain: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Abram: “He told his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but let you live. Say you are my sister so that I will be treated well for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you."

Abram: "Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless…, You have given me no children..."

Esau: "This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!" Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him.

And we're only halfway through Genesis.

I suppose it can make us feel better to lay the blame on someone else. It's all their fault, not mine.

The gospels are different, though. Not completely. Herod did wash his hands of the whole crucifixion thing.

But early in his time, Jesus called people to serve him. They didn't see evil motives behind the call. They just accepted.

" ‘Come, follow me,’" Jesus said, " 'and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their net and followed him.”

Peter and Andrew may have been in the doghouse back home when their family members realized they had given up their livelihood to follow some stranger.

There were times that Jesus laid the "blame" on God.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’ "

Let me be like the disciples who were willing to drop everything to follow a promise. Let me not be like those who feel everything, and everyone is against them.

Ann Iona Warner