One of my favorite parables

Luke 15:11-32 - the story of the prodigal son. This is one of my favorite parables told by Jesus in the Bible. It is a story I can really relate to based on my own experiences, and from the conversations I have had over the years, I believe many can relate.

It lays out almost perfectly my relationship with God. I had a strong Christian childhood. My dad made sure that we went to church every Sunday and he struggled to send us to a Christian elementary school, even though I know now he could not really afford it. I played guitar in the folk group, on the altar just about every Sunday, I was active in the youth group and even went to the national youth convention one year.

But then something happened, I got a decent paying job and was introduced to what I like to call "the big party". I decided (yes, it was a decision, not just something that happened) that I didn't need church or God. I never really understood why we were asked to give at church and honestly that aspect really tore me up. You see, as I was making a decent wage, I saw what the government was taking from me each pay period, and now I had the church telling me I need to give them money as well. To a degree, I filtered out the message so the only thing I was hearing when going to church was that I was a sinner and because of that I needed to give money to the church. I was definitely mixed up in my thoughts.

I know now that I was hearing what the devil was putting into my head, not what was being preached, but it took a long 6 or 7 years to figure this out. I thought I had it all, going out every night of the week, traveling for my job, lots of friends and colleagues. Who needed church? My mom was so upset with me because I would not even go to church on holidays. I justified this by saying I did not want to be a hypocrite, only showing up for the special days. What I really meant was  that I did not want to hear the message that I was living a life of an unrepentant sinner.

But there was something missing, something big. I remember walking into a lonely apartment on many a Christmas night, feeling depressed, not having any one to share with. I saw my siblings with there marriages that on the outside I scoffed at, but on the inside I longed for.

Then several things happened in my life. I bought my first house, and with that decided that my lifestyle was putting everything I had at risk. I had not yet come to the realization of what was really missing, but God was setting my plan in motion. Driving a friend home from a baseball game (okay it was the Orioles when they actually used to win) I slid on wet pavement and bang, I was out a car for about a week. I look back at this moment and realize this was when God opened up the door for me to come in. He saw me from a distance, like the father in the parable, and was so excited to see me coming back. I did not know it yet, but I was turning back into God's driveway, coming home after a long journey away. I had started to clean up my act, turn back toward God.

Then I met my wife (we worked for the same company, she lived near my new house, she provided me with transportation while my car was in the shop, now you know the rest of the story). I know that God sent her to me as a gift, but also to lead me down the driveway and back home. She gave me an ultimatum, go to church or find someone else. Well, I made the best decision in my life at that moment. Of course I know that it was not me making the decision, but the Holy Spirit pushing me from behind. What came over the next several years were events where without being strong again in faith, I do not know if I would have made it. My mom had bypass surgery, my little brother had some rare form of pneumonia that nearly cost him his life. Without Christ and my wife in my life, I would have never made it through those events.

Since then, there have been many challenges, but as my grandmother used to tell my mom, God never gives you what you cannot handle.

My point today is that as parents we have to do the best we can to show our children who God is and how much He cares for each and every one of us. We get God's instructions from His written Word in the Bible. With that foundation, if and when they stray, they will have a foundation to rely on and to return to. And God, as the father in the parable, will be there with open arms, just like He was for me. And He will celebrate with great joy that His child has returned.

"For this my son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate." Luke 15:24

God Bless you on this Wednesday!