Holly turned 18 and was ready to “get outta here!”. She knew that her daddy had worked hard and was financially sound, and that she had an inheritance coming her way when the good Lord was ready to call her daddy home. Yet, Holly just couldn’t wait. She asked, no…she told her father, “Hey, now that I’m an adult, I want my inheritance so I can travel the world and become the woman I want to be.”
So, her father honored her wishes and went ahead and divided his wealth out to what Holly was due.
Holly packed her travel backpack, and with her money in tow, she set off for a wild adventure.
Trains, planes, automobiles, bicycles, and a few Uber rides transported Holly to extravagant places. She wasted her money on uninhabited living. She met a lot of people and shared her good fortune with them all. Holly didn’t write home much, because she was too embarrassed to share her stories with her folks.
One day, the money ran out. Holly was broke. Actually, she was beyond broke. Not only was Holly broke, but she was lonely. All her “friends” departed as soon as the cash flow was gone.
A famine had swept across the country, and she didn’t have two pennies to rub together. Holly found a farmer that took pity on her and hired her to work with the pigs. If you know Holly, working with pigs is the furthest thing from her ideal work. She much preferred the seaside lifestyle with waves to surf and shipwrecks to be discovered underwater.
Holly was sooo hungry. She decided that those corncobs the pigs were eating looked pretty tasty. As soon as she was about to sink her teeth into a half-gnawed corncob, Holly shook her head and pondered, “What in the world am I doing? I have done wrong. I’ve squandered my inheritance away, that my father had worked so hard to provide for me and my siblings. I not only have done wrong against my father, but my God. Oh, LORD, I am so sorry. Please forgive me!”
She rehearsed what she was going to say to her daddy. It was simple and heartfelt. She was ready to say, “Daddy, I have sinned against you and my Heavenly Father. I am not worthy to be called your child. Can you please hire me as your slave?”
Holly returned home as quickly as she could. She repeated those words she had been reciting the whole way home. Her daddy saw her coming down the dirt road and ran to meet her with open arms. She said her rehearsed speech, but before she could utter the question at the end, her father turned to his workers and said, “Hurry, go get the finest clothes for her, and get my ring to put on her hand, oh…and put those comfy sandals on her tired feet (maybe a pedicure first). It’s time to celebrate! Prepare the best steak dinner for all. My child is home!”
Meanwhile, Hunter, Holly’s older brother, was out working in the woods. He heard music and laughter and smelled the grill firing up a delicious meal. He asked a worker, “What’s going on?”
The worker replied, “Your sister has safely come home, and your daddy is grilling up the best steak. It’s a party!”
“Are you kidding me?” Hunter harshly questioned. He was not a happy camper and wanted no part of this so-called-homecoming-festivity.
Their daddy went to Hunter and pleaded with him to join them. Hunter said a few selfish words of “how-dare-you” to his father and made it known that after all these years of working for his dad, he never once was given the special treatment like Holly was receiving.
The father said, “Listen, my dear son, you’re with me all the time. All that I have is yours. Today is a day of celebration. Be happy because your sister was once lost and now she is found. She was dead, and now she’s alive!”
This story is, of course, a fictitious story of Holly and Hunter. I’ve “Stephanie-fied” the parable Jesus told regarding the Parable of the Lost Son found in Luke 15:11-32.
For the past two weeks, this parable has been popping up in my mind. God must have been bringing it home to me when my pastor, Brother/Dr. Brian Stowe, preached on these scripture verses this past Sunday.
I decided to “dwell well” and reread the parable and be prayerful over the words.
I’ll tie in a few of my thoughts, and add some of my pastor’s words too:
- The younger child (Holly in my story) was arrogant and showed total disregard to the father’s authority. Why? Because for someone to ask for their inheritance before a parent’s’ death was said to be disrespectful and as if you are saying they are “dead to you”. Oh me oh my! Do we ever disregard our Heavenly Father’s authority? Some may jokingly, yet seriously say while looking at their watch, “What time is it?” or “What’s today?” We live in a world where “we” want it “our” way, and “now”. Friend, rest in Him and His timing. God’s got this thing called life.
- When the younger child wasted the inheritance on wild living, they didn’t think about the future. They spent it all, and saving wasn’t thought of, only the here-and-now. He/she was selfish with the money and how they lived their life. We need to remember that ALL our actions will have consequences, and that the choices we make don’t only affect us, but others around us. Be wise.
- We can be careless like the Lost Child. I can identify with this character. I’ve made some pathetic choices in my life and did some things that I know I shouldn’t have done. Thank God that He is compassionate in my carelessness, forgiving in my foolishness, and hospitable in my humiliation.
- When the wondering child had finally hit rock bottom, that is when they came to their senses. Praise God! Sometimes God allows us to land flat on our faces so there is nowhere to look but up to Him. Remember that even in our deepest/darkest moments we need to look toward Heaven and praise Him.
- Do you ever feel that you are not worthy enough for Jesus? No matter what stage or age you are in your life, God thinks that you are “the cat’s meow”. He adores you! God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for your sins. He did! Jesus died for us and He rose again! Glory! If He did all that before you were even born, knowing that we are all sinners, He thinks you are pretty worthy.
- Speaking of worthy…this doesn’t mean that we need to earn our way with God. The older brother (Hunter in my rendition) was angry because he had stayed with the father and worked for him this whole time and wasn’t rewarded like the younger wayward child. Listen, God wants the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of you. Yes, we need to be of service as a child of God, but don’t mistake that as we need to do service to get to God. We serve because we do so out of love, not for what we will get out of it.
- Rejoice! No matter where you are in your Christian walk, or where others are, we need to celebrate when anyone (and I mean a-n-y-o-n-e) comes to or running back to the Father.
- Don’t hold a grudge because someone else is getting what you think you deserve. When you are a child of The King, you have it all! Great is your reward is in heaven.
- The daddy in the parable is our Heavenly Father. He: provided, longed for his son to come home, ran to him, forgave, restored, and celebrated. Glory!
- God doesn’t force us to come to Him, He waits patiently.
Okay, question…have you been away from our Father? What a better time than this season of Easter to “rise up” and come back to Jesus.
I challenge you to look inwardly and ask God to reveal anything in you that you need to flee from and run to Him. Seek His face.
Do you know of someone who is lost? Pray for them. Be the light God desires for you to be that will shine the way to Him.
Rejoice that you were lost, but now you’re found; was dead but now alive. Be alive in Christ our Savior!
Have a beautiful day, and enjoy soaking up The Son in the sun.
Love, Stephanie