The classic Prodigal Son story. What a great story about redemption and forgiveness, jealousy and blessings. And also a great story about realization and stopping dead in your tracks and making a U-turn.
Have you ever noticed how many places U-turns are forbidden. It seems like almost everywhere I desire to make a U-turn when I get twisted around in my directions, it is forbidden. And I feel frustrated and aggravated and, sometimes, at a loss. Do you ever make that illegal U-turn anyway? Sometimes we do, sometimes we want to, sometimes our car might be too big to make it work, but we still contemplate the idea of it!
In this parable, the wayward son partied away his inheritance and then his life fell apart. He had set no real goals for himself, no real plan of action. And when things fell apart, he had no one to turn to and nothing to fall back on.
The road sometimes is full of obstacles, but we decide to drive on it all alone. We decide we'd rather stay out of the rush hour traffic and hit the open road with just me, myself, and I and no one to tell us what to do or how to drive or where to go. We decide we need no one on our journey from A to Z.
And then, we realize that we do. We realize that the relationships we have let wither away are far away from us just when we need them the most.
A few years ago, a dear friend of mine gave me a CD by Patti Griffin with a song on it called, "When It Don't Come Easy," which speaks to how important it is to have even that ONE person who you know you can go 'home' to no matter what. One part of the song goes like this:
You're out there walking down a highway
And all of the signs got blown away
Sometimes you wonder if you're walking in the wrong direction
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I'll try to remind you
And stay by you when it don't come easy
The Prodigal Son decides to risk going home to his father. He decides that even though he hasn't kept in touch and has failed to be there when the family needed him, he will see if he can be some part of his father's life anyway.
And when he gets within view of his father, his father runs up to greet him and embraces him. "If you break down, I'll drive out and find you. If you forget my love, I'll try to remind you."
Even if you feel no one on earth could possibly fill that place for you, know this: God will always fill that place for you. Just imagine God saying to you those lyrics above. And know that God is there, waiting for you to return.
Thoughts? Comments? Email me or comment below.
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