Bringing Home the Prodigals

Since our move, my commute to work has doubled. Not really something to roll my eyes at because my drive went from ten minutes to a whopping twenty. With this bit of extra time, and a desire to start out the mornings well, I have tuned into the Focus on the Family broadcast with Dr. James Dobson. Wow. It has been such a wonderful time of learning! For those of you out there with a bit of a commute, I encourage you to tune in, you will be blessed. The station in our neck of the woods is 99.5.

Today and yesterday they featured guest speaker, Rob Parsons, who is the Executive Director of "Care for the Family," Focus on the Family's associate office in the United Kingdom. Mr. Parsons heart is for prodigals, those people in our lives that have walked away from the Lord for various reasons. He travels the globe addressing parents mostly. Mr. Parsons passion and stories moved my heart and I fought back tears. I think each of us is a prodigal at some point in our lives. We all need the love of the Father and acceptance after we have fallen down. Mr. Parsons made a point in this broadcast that has stuck with me, "Prodigals will come home when the Father's House is filled with the Father's love." While that is not always the case, we can certainly position ourselves to have that kind of love, to respond with open arms, as prodigals come running home. What a difference that could make in a person's life! There will always be those ones that choose to live their own way, but I wonder... If our church was filled more with the Father's love, how many more lives would be lived and saved for His glory?

To listen to the podcast, or find a station near you click HERE.

A note about the painting: The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. I actually had the immense privilege of seeing the original while I was touring the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. I specifically recall being so taken with this painting, it grabbed my heart. In real life, at nearly eight feet tall, one cannot help but feel pulled into the story of this painting. Afterward I searched the museum gift shop until I could find a postcard replica to take home with me. A poorly printed postcard did not do The Prodigal justice, but I purchased it just the same, tucking away the memory into my suitcase.