Jesus understood the pain that parents experience when a son or daughter goes astray. In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31) Jesus told the story of a young man who requested that his father give to him his inheritance. The youth then went to another city and squandered his fortune on a wild and lavish lifestyle. As poverty and hunger began to take their toll, the young man came to his senses and resolved that he would return to his father and plead to be taken in as a servant. Jesus said that when the boy was a long way off his father saw him, ran to him, and embraced him. The father then threw a party to welcome home the errant son.
Jesus’ parable is not only about a rebellious son, but it is also about the compassion of a loving father. The dad in the parable never lost hope that one day his son would come home. Eventually his most earnest prayers were answered. It was no doubt an excruciating period of pain and loss, one in which innumerable nights were spent without sleep worrying about the welfare of his beloved son. The only peace the parent of a prodigal son or daughter can find will be in God. No matter how difficult things become parents must try not to lose sight of the fact that this is still their child. That child may have disappointed them, done unspeakable things, and inflicted all manner of verbal abuse. The challenge is never to give up on them, never stop praying for them, and by no means stop loving them. Remember that this is a person whom the Lord dearly loves and wants to guide home. Like the father in Jesus’ parable, we must be waiting for them once they come to their senses and return home.
Trying to enjoy life in the midst of circumstances such as these is indeed difficult. Only by faith and with the Lord’s help can it be accomplished. Keep praying for the wayward child, keep reaching out, and never stop believing that God can work a miracle and bring him or her home to a new and better life.
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