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| Godvine |
The one that I saw today was a montage of several of veterans, all returning to their families. Tears were everywhere.
My tears, that is.
I can’t imagine the emotional roller coaster these veteran families go through. The anticipation of departure. The departure itself. News reports of attacks, bombings, shootings, firefights. Missed holidays. Missed dinners. Long silences. Anticipated return dates. Disappointment. And, finally, elation, mixed with gratitude and love and surprise and hope and faith.
It hit me today that those videos are a great picture of The Prodigal. The son leaves. There’s news of all the bad things happening in the world, and his father has no idea whether he is safe. Yet, he waits, expectantly, for his son to come home. Then, out of the blue, one day, the son returns. And, just like in the veteran videos, they run to each other. They embrace in a moment of complete acceptance and joy and love.
That must be what the father felt. That must be what the scene looked like when The Prodigal saw his waiting father.
That must be what God feels like when we return to Him after a time away.
We're the ones who are fearful, approaching Him with trepidation and questions. “What will I say?” “Will He accept me?” “Will He forgive me?” But when we reconcile with humility and love, all that fades away. There may be tough conversations in the future, but those will come after the relationships have been reestablished. For now, this is about hugs and kisses and tears and laughter.
The question for the day is, is there someone you need to reconcile with?
I have heard it said more than once that unforgiveness is like drinking poison, believing that it’s hurting the other person.
Maybe today is the day to reconcile and forgive, or to ask for forgiveness.
Walking through the door, you may be a little tentative, but if you are truly ready to reconcile, it can be like those veteran videos that make me cry: Arms wide open, you meet in the middle and find restoration.
My tears, that is.
I can’t imagine the emotional roller coaster these veteran families go through. The anticipation of departure. The departure itself. News reports of attacks, bombings, shootings, firefights. Missed holidays. Missed dinners. Long silences. Anticipated return dates. Disappointment. And, finally, elation, mixed with gratitude and love and surprise and hope and faith.
It hit me today that those videos are a great picture of The Prodigal. The son leaves. There’s news of all the bad things happening in the world, and his father has no idea whether he is safe. Yet, he waits, expectantly, for his son to come home. Then, out of the blue, one day, the son returns. And, just like in the veteran videos, they run to each other. They embrace in a moment of complete acceptance and joy and love.
That must be what the father felt. That must be what the scene looked like when The Prodigal saw his waiting father.
That must be what God feels like when we return to Him after a time away.
We're the ones who are fearful, approaching Him with trepidation and questions. “What will I say?” “Will He accept me?” “Will He forgive me?” But when we reconcile with humility and love, all that fades away. There may be tough conversations in the future, but those will come after the relationships have been reestablished. For now, this is about hugs and kisses and tears and laughter.
The question for the day is, is there someone you need to reconcile with?
I have heard it said more than once that unforgiveness is like drinking poison, believing that it’s hurting the other person.
Maybe today is the day to reconcile and forgive, or to ask for forgiveness.
Walking through the door, you may be a little tentative, but if you are truly ready to reconcile, it can be like those veteran videos that make me cry: Arms wide open, you meet in the middle and find restoration.
It's exactly the picture painted in the gospel of Luke:
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants,... ‘let us eat and celebrate. For this my son ... was lost, and is found.’"
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