Woe is me...

A poor man is shunned by all his relatives-
How much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he pursues them with pleading,
They are nowhere to be found.
-Proverbs 19:7(NIV)


I hate whiners. Yeah, not very Christian hating an entire segment of humanity like that. But you know what they say. You do know what they say right? Right!?!
(All together now, “No, what do they say?”)
We hate the things in others that we hate in ourselves.
I am in the mood to party, people.
Yep, I’m going to throw me a party - a pity party!
Imagine going through what I have gone through (some of you don’t even have to imagine, some of you are going through it now or have already gone through this sort of thing) and then trying to talk to family members about how you feel and looking for encouragement.
But what if all you get it is, “Wow, that’s too bad. Let me tell you about the drama in your brother’s life.”
I have been trying to talk to my Dad for more than a week now. Just to sit him down and get some spiritual advice or some older, experienced man’s perspective on how things in life don’t always work out and here, son, is how as a man you need to handle things kind of pep talk.
Waa, waa, waa, poor me.
I feel like Anthony Michael Hall in the Breakfast Club when Judd Nelson is making fun of his home life, except the dark sinister part of me is sort of like Judd Nelson wanting to kick the living Fruit Loops out of my softer more gentile Anthony Michael Hall side.
Golly gee Dad, can we talk for a minute?
Every time I call him he’s literally on a mission from God. He spends most of his retirement days volunteering in some capacity at his local church. If it’s not that, then he is dealing with my brother who is going through his own problems. The same brother I went to encourage the day after I got canned.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great. I am proud of him. I’ve met the folks at his church and they love him to death. But right now I am feeling a little selfish. My kids want more time with their Grandfather. I need more time with him.
Waa, waa, waa, poor me.
I feel stupid for even complaining about it.
But that’s how I feel at the moment and so there you go.
At least he’s still alive right? I have a few friends that have lost their fathers already.
It sucks.
Wifey is going through the same thing, except when she calls her Mom, she gets the whole “your sister is driving me crazy” routine.
Waa, waa, waa poor Wifey.
Poor us.
Excuse me while my Judd Nelson side gives my Anthony Michael Hall side a wedgie.
This has to stop, seriously. If I am really trying to turn my problem over to Jesus like they taught us in Sunday school, why am I worried about what are parents are doing? Isn’t God supposed to be running the show anyway?
But they are our parents. Aren’t parents supposed to be there for their kids? Even when they are all grown up? We look to them for guidance and encouragement. Who else can we turn to for support of not them?
I have been reading this other verse, 1 Timothy 5:8.

“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

It’s a little on the harsh side I think but when I read it I thought of my Dad. And guess what? That sounds just like me. Oh I don’t mean me not having a job. That is a different matter entirely. I mean being there for my kids, for my wife, for my family. For the last two years or so I have been supremely selfish. I don’t even have a mission from God to fall back on. I just have me, making excuses for the things I did or, rather, didn’t do.
I’m seeing that more clearly now.
There’s nothing like a little perspective.
Okay. I am done whining. I need to start my day now.