arbitrary rules for the prodigal at heart

 Theres so many new rules this year everywhere I turn! Wear a mask, follow the arrows at the stores, keep this far away from humans. Stand on the taped lines.

Even at pickleball now, all these people got together where I live and came up with new rules they like to enforce by yelling at us while we're literally in the middle of a game. We all MUST touch the same marker and write our names on some white board they put up....every 11 point game we play, even when theres open courts. We can't play with each other if we came together to play together...we have to play with a stranger , even if that stranger doesn't know the basic mechanics of pickleball and will never hit the ball to you. If you don't , you have to sit on the bench with open courts as far as the eye can see until someone else plays with them. You MUST hold onto your own ball. DON'T touch someone elses ball!! Oh that will really get some people angry.

You can't take stuff back to Meijers if the tag is removed, even if your 13 year old kids removed the tags you told them not to before trying on the bathing suits you bought them that they couldn't try on at the store because of a new rule. Because if the tag is removed, people will get Covid I'm told. But if the tag isn't removed, the garment is Covid free and can be returned to the rack....even if both have been tried on at home. I'm so confused and I hate arbitrary rules made up in times of chaos.

Or maybe I'm just generally a TERRIBLE rule follower? This is why I LOVE Jesus, I AM a horrible rule follower at heart. He's like "look, you STINK at this, but I still love you and Im here to help you navigate this crazy world." So Jesus HAS built this trust with me and I, word for word, wholeheartedly agree with ALL his rules...even if I still fall short.

But these new arbitrary rules people are making up on the daily? I'm so bad at this. I'm a prodigal at heart you guys. I'll tell you what, THIS is THE season of the prodigals older brother. If you're a rule follower, this is YOUR season to SHINE!!!!

I'll be over here, with a crooked mask on, walking the wrong direction down the grocery cart aisle, accidentally touching all your pickleballs, getting in fights with the Spring Lake pickleball rulers, questioning the Meijers return lady how on earth that policy makes any sense at all..then going home and stapling that tag back on only to return it to a different Meijers 🙂 Covid season is NOT for the prodigals, Lord give me strength!!!!