Bible stories

Love Bible stories.  Pretty recently our church did a series on the stories of the Bible and it was interesting to think of them from a child's perspective momentarily and how scary some of them can be.  I have several favorites, but the one that I have clung to most recently is The Prodigal Son. 

I get it on many levels personally.  I have even considered myself somewhat of a Prodigal as I went through a period of thinking I could do it all on my own and did not need my Father.  He let me go and suffer the consequences of my choices.  My favorite part of the story however is the picture of the Father.  He was always watching for his child, and when he saw him in the distance he picked up his robes and against all proper etiquette of the day HE RAN.  I love that! It moves me every time.  What a picture of love.  And my Father welcomed me back.  He was there all along.  He loved me then, He loves me now and He constantly seeks us out.  THAT is crazy love. 

The other way I get this story is I am now in the role of "father".  I have a prodigal son.  Which makes the fact that the father loved his child so unconditionally so much more amazing to me.  My son is still walking in the ways of the world and listening to worldly advice and "wisdom".  There is an Amy Grant song (OLD SCHOOL AMY GRANT) called "The Prodigal".  There is a line in it that I love, "And even if you never do return, still I will have learned how to love you better."  I'm not saying I always do well in this area.  There is as much frustration at times as there is love.  Really a prodigal is anyone who is not walking with the Lord.  And the only way any of this will change is when my son asks Jesus into his heart.  Until then there have been several deep dark valleys that we have all gone through.