Dear God,

I am pretty selfish. You know that.

God, don’t get me wrong. I love all my family. I love them dearly.  But at the same time, my family can drive me nuts.  My youngest son is a senior in high school, and my older three are housebound after their three colleges all respectively closed down to go online. Family quarantine constantly disrupts my schedule (and their daily routines). Lord, you know I am not a huge fan of millennials living with their parents. I need Your help.

Father, your Son teaches us to pray to You,

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.“

But honestly, the temptations abound every day for my family to point out generational faults between Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.  And God, we won’t even get into talking about the Boomers.

God, you know, that last night, my oldest daughter wanted to pull me away from the very important whatever-in-the-world-that-I-was-doing to go buy some “essential items” for goodies. She had her heart set on baking.  She wanted to give some treats to others today.  God, you know, that in my grumbling, bad mood, I drove to Albertsons and could not find what was needed.  Only two grocery clerks ran the whole store.  They both suggested the same aisle for what I needed, but I could not find it.  Immediately, I phone texted complaints to my daughter.  Then I drove to Walmart, and it was closed.  I couldn’t believe it!  In all my years of living in this city, I have never seen Walmart closed off to my direct, immediate access. Lord, you know, that I drove home, fuming.  My daughter managed to graciously cook some delicious goodies, but I was in a foul mood.  God, why do you have to put me in these family circumstances all over again that want to bring out my selfishness? Depending on the right mix of circumstances, I can get bent out of shape by the smallest of issues, straining at the gnat and swallowing a camel.

God, I need to repent of my focus on self.  As an introvert, I thrive on social isolation.  Unlike my bubbly, extrovert wife, I am energized by hanging out by myself.

So, God, why did you have to pack my little cracker-box home with my whole family?

Lord, have mercy on this selfish Idahoan,

Todd