What a great weekend we've had!! Our oldest son, Taylor, came home!! Oh, how I've missed that boy! When he called Saturday morning to say he was on the road, I got busy in the kitchen baking him his favorite chocolate cake. I also wanted to serve his favorite food at dinner: mashed potatoes.
I thought about the prodigal son while I was cooking. (Luke 15: 11-32) No, Taylor is not coming home in disgrace--thank God!!--but I still understood what the father must have felt when he saw his son after such a long separation. Our kids are our hearts, no matter the circumstances that bring them home. Taylor was coming home happy, fulfilled, and with his head held high. The son in the biblical story, however, was coming home beaten down by life. He'd made some terrible choices and he was paying the price for them.
But the commonality between Taylor and the prodigal son is that both of these sons were loved so much by their parents, that simply having them come home was the greatest day ever! It didn't matter why they were coming home, just that they were home!
In my own life I've had many homecomings. My parents always welcomed me with open arms. They always welcomed my brothers and sister in the same way. Mom would cook a great meal and have clean sheets on the bed. They loved their children and enjoyed having us home. No, we weren't any of us perfect kids, but that didn't matter. Mom and Dad loved us unconditionally.
God is the same way. He loves His children unconditionally and hates to be separated from them. But sin, not miles, separate us from our Heavenly Father, and that breaks his heart. Luke 15:7 says, " I [Jesus] tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Can't you hear it? The loud "Whoop!" from heaven when a sinner finally gives it all up and cries, "I wanna come home, Jesus!" The gates are thrown open, the feast is prepared, and clean sheets are put on those heavenly beds.
Are you on your way home? Let's go together!
3 comments:
I just re-read "90 Minutes in Heave" by Rev Don Piper and it really touched me all over again. Talk about wanting to come home! :-)
Love you Sis!! :-)
I mean "Heaven" - ha!
Hey Mitch,
I decided to finally go to your blog site and check it out. I thought it was very informative and fun. I'm learning things about you and your family I didn't really know and you only live around the corner!!!! Glad your "baby" came home! It feels good, doesn't it!
Love you, Terri
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