11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
-Jesus (Luke 15:11-23)
I am so glad Jesus taught this parable.
There have been many times in our relationship where I have squandered His gifts, where I choose earthly pursuits over precious time with Him, where I busy myself with distractions, or I am simply too lazy to open up my Bible.
I am a fraud, a fake, a liar, a hypocrite. I think of how I call myself Christian, but I am living a lie, not obeying Him by doing the basics to engage in my love for Him.
This break has been challenging. Coming home after the most difficult semester of my life, left me thirsting for time to unwind. That thirst led to laziness, that laziness led to fear. Fear, that after two weeks with an unopened Bible, continued to feed on my heart. That God would not want me back and see me as how I was seeing myself-- a fraud, a fake, a liar, a hypocrite. Then, I remembered the Prodigal Son.
How could I possibly think that the God of the universe - the God whose love knows no bounds, could possibly turn me away? He has been waiting for His daughter to see. And to come back. To return. To His open arms.
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
-Jesus (Luke 15:10)
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