This is a story about Brian and he doesn't appear to be a rebellious and angry teenager, he's just someone who wants to do what he wants to do. I guess being a prizefighter isn't what every parent prays for for their child. Because of his owns actions, he is at the point of falling to his death when an angel intervenes. At least a miracle happens and he finds himself in the boxcar. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom or having something like this happen to make us realize that it's time to change our ways and/or do something different than what we are doing.
The passage in the Bible is about the lost son. The son who asks his father for his share of the inheritance and then travels to a distance land and spends it foolishly. After awhile he gets a job feeding hogs and is so hungry that he wants to eat what the hogs are eating. Then he remembers how much his father has and that the hired hands are never hungry and he decides to go home and ask his father to make him one of his hired hands. But the father has been waiting and watching for his son and while his son is still a long way off, he runs to great him and puts on a big celebration to welcome him back.
God is like that for us and for Brian. He is waiting and watching for us to come to Him and he will celebrate with us. We want to live how we want to live and do what we want to do and often times that life is not fulfilling. But if we have God in our life and live for Him, our life will be filled with joy. God never promises that life will be easy, but He does promise to be with us always. God's love is like that father's. It's constant, patient and welcoming. He searches for us and waits for us but does not force us.
God is a gentleman. He waits patiently for us. He gave us a free will. He wants us to love Him freely and willingly. He is always waiting with His arms wide open. He is our heavenly Father. Read Matthew 7:7. I don't necessarily believe that God wants us to ask for riches or worldly things, I believe he wants us to ask for wisdom, and knowledge and love and those kinds of things and to provide for our daily needs. He is waiting to give us those things.
I thought this story was interesting in that Brian was doing something he really wanted to do and was good at it and had let his parents know he was okay, yet God still prompted him to go home. Even though the sport I detest the most is fighting - pointless - I won't let Chris watch it if I'm around. Do you think this story is saying that prizefighting is immoral? Or just that God had other plans for Brian?
ReplyDeleteJayne, great job on the story, I think you hit the point right on. As for the prizefighting when I read it I thought of it as God having other plans for Brian. That he gave him the right of free will and trying his own way, but now it was time to go home because there was bigger and better things waiting for him (besides prizefighting...)
ReplyDeleteThis story reminded me a lot of Frank in the Thorn Birds. If anyone is interested in a captivating novel...it's a good one. Frank wants to be a fighter and leaves home against his family's wishes. He returns much later in life a changed man.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the story is saying that prizefighting is immoral. Just that God had other plans. Although, I'm with Denise on this one. What a waste of time.
I think it is interesting that Brian was a successful prizefighter and when he came home he went on to fight in WWII and took part in 28 combat missions. Maybe he was supposed to be a prizefighter and that experience helped him survive the war so that he could go on to be a minister. Maybe it was all part of God's plans in the first place.
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