Micah

Woe to you. That's often the word from the prophets in the Old Testament. The irony is, when someone tells you to watch out, they what you are doing is going to hurt you, do we ever really listen? Usually we just get upset, more set in our ways, convinced that the person we are dating really is good, that the work we are doing really is ethical, that the drinking isn't really addiction. I kind of feel sorry for the prophets, because they were set up for failure. They gave the warnings, but no one listened. Because we seem to always have to learn for ourselves, not from others mistakes. It's sort of like AA can do wonders for people, but only when they realize they need it for themselves.
Which makes Jonah so different from Micah. The people actually listened to Jonah, which he wasn't expecting, and then he was annoyed when they did listen and change their ways! I'm not sure who had the harder time of things.
There's something to be said for telling people we care about our concerns about the decisions they are making that are harmful in their lives. We have an obligation to do that, but we also have to accept that they will still make their own choices, whether we agree with them or not. And somehow, as painful as it is, we just love them the best we can.
-Melanie