LET US NOT SQUANDER WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN

A few years ago the universe hit me with a conscience wrenching two-by-four when my minister was preaching the story of The Prodigal Son. He retold that familiar tale of the one brother who works diligently and responsibly by his father’s side while the other demands his inheritance and then promptly runs off to the city where he spends all his money foolishly and frivolously, and finally comes back, shamed and penniless.

And the Reverend said, Don’t lie, you think you are the “good son,” don’t you? You don’t quite get why the crazy, irresponsible one is celebrated in this tale, do you? You see yourself as the upstanding, moral, just-do-the-right-thing citizen (we are a congregation of Presbyterians; clearly he had that right).

But then he let us have it. “You sit in judgment of the younger, the selfish, the irresponsible son, but who are you to judge? You may not be foolishly losing an inheritance to party and drink. But what else have you done . . . or not done? How many times have you squandered what you have been given?”

I swear, that last sentence fell upon me with the weight of a cement block. It was almost as if he had actually said “How many times have you squandered what you have been given . . . Mae?”

Especially on the days when I am short with the kids; or feel too uninspired to write the blog about their antics, even though I may have time to do so; the times I don’t volunteer at their school or elsewhere, or do so with a shitty attitude. My mind will wander back to that sermon and I will think, Get it together, Prodigal Mom. Don’t squander what you have been given.

So part of what I want to do with this platform is highlight some of the really compelling cries for help in my community, and really inspiring responses. We can’t do everything, but we can always do something.

Coming up . . .  P Strong seeks to unmask the mystery of rare and unusual cancers . . .