GRAPE! I'm gonna get Grape! Or, Cherry! They're both favorites.

I would have said that I was overtaken by a Godly jealousy today. But jealousy seems so negative. It was more of an envy for something I want for the younger version of myself. Devin and I ran into a young couple that we met in Disciple 1. Looking at them and talking to them made me wish that I would have been more zealous in my relationship with God when I was their age.

This feeling was reinforced as we sat in church behind a young family. As we were singing our praise songs, the mom in front of me had her hand raised to God. Next to her was the precious sight of her 3 or 4 year old son doing the same thing. Oh, if only Devin and I could have been that young couple or those young parents.

It got me to thinking about a joke by the comedian Brian Regan. He tells of a little league game.

"Brian, what's the score?"

"FREE SNO-CONE! Free sno-cone at the end of the game! If you play, they're gonna give you a free sno-cone! Even if you play half game, you get the whole.You don't get half sno-cone, you get a whole sno-cone for half the game.Ehh! The people that play WHOLE game get a WHOLE sno-cone, and the people that play HALF game get a WHOLE sno-cone. So it's always WHOLE.always WHOLE sno-cone. So I.I'd rather play HALF game.I'd rather play half game.Still get the whole sno-cone."

I sometimes feel like I showed up just for the second half of the game when it comes to my relationship with Jesus Christ. I may have known Him and believed in Him for my entire life, but I didn't really participate in our relationship. I had the uniform and the hat and the glove but wasn't showing up for practice. I still called myself a Believer though.

Then I got to thinking about the Parable of the Vineyard Workers in Matthew 20. The landowner hired workers throughout the day. They all agreed to work for a day's wages. Even those who only worked half of the day were paid for a whole day. But those that had worked a full day felt that they were owed more than they were promised.

Now unlike the little leaguer, I'm not glad that I only played HALF the game. If I were the workers who were paid for a whole day and only worked a half, I would have felt that I'd cheated the landowner. I wish I'd been like the young couple at church or the young parents sitting in front of us. I imagine what effect that would have had on my family and friends. If I'd been in a stronger relationship with Jesus.

I'm so glad that God allows me to have a WHOLE sno-cone even though I only played half game.