Prodigals

On my journey in devlving deeper into this grace thing, i have been reading, "What's so amazing about Grace," by Philip Yancey. In his book, Yancey uses a number of illustrations, stories, and JEsus' parables to show what grace is and how it works. It has really changed my view towards parables. It seems like so often when we study parables, we automatically assume they are stories to tell us how we need to shape up and be better christians, but for the most part, i don't think that this was the "author's purpose" at all. Jesus used parables to show the truth about himself and the father. No wonder so many Christians feel burned out! If we would just take those parables and take them to our heart-- allow them to penetrate who we are as God's creations-- how much more we would be fulfilled in our walk!

The parable that has touched me the deepest in the past few weeks has been that of the prodigal son. Yancey restates it in more contemparary terms with a young girl from Traverse City, Michigan who runs away and prostitutes herself as the prodigal. While reading this, something inside of me just broke and i just sat in tears and amazement. I'd heard the story a million times, but not until recently I have never known quite how to interpret it nor have i really allowed it to affect me. Yancey ends the story like this,"

"She walks into the terminal not knowing what to expect. Not one of the thousnad scenes that have played out in her mind prepare her for what she sees. There, in the concrete-walls-and-plastic-chiars bus terminal in Traverse City Michigan, stands a group of forty brothers and sisters and great-aunts and uncles and cousins and a grandmother and great-grandmother to boot. They're all wearing goofy part hats and blowing noise-makers, and taped across the entire wall of the termmianl is a computer-generated banner that reads "welcome home!"
Out of the crowd of well-wishers breaks her dad. She stares out through the tears quivering in her eyes like hot mercury and begins the memorized speech, 'Dad, i'm sorry I know...'
He interupts her, 'Hush child. We've got no time for that. No time for apologies. You'll be late for the party. A banquet's waiting for you at home.'"

I keep seeing this image of a "Lovesick father" standing at the end of the road with his arms open, running towards me. Could this be my father, my Abba? Waiting like that for me? Am i going to have to make some kind of excuse? Or will he just welcome me in, wanting to have the party and forgetting everything behind.

You know, i really don't like the analogy of our faith being a race to be run, becuase frankly, i just hate running. Athletic training is right at the bottom of my list of priorities. But to know that i can simply lay down in my Abba's arms and he'll do the running for me brings air back into my lungs.

All this stuff about grace makes me want to pass it along to someone else. I want to give all my money to throw someone a party or buy my good friend the blazer that she wants. isn't it amazing how simply knowing how beautiful God is can totally change my perspective towards others.

Knowing about God's grace for me also makes me think about those who i have been less than forgiving towards. There is a Jonah 33 song that says, "THis song goes out to my prodigal dad," and as i read through this book, that line just keeps coming back. My dad has turned away from God and won't let go of his pride long enough to accept God's grace. He says things about my Abba that make me so angry and says things to me that are so hurtful, but God never gives up on him, even though i usually do. I would like to stop giving up, to show my earthy father the grace that my heavenly abba has given both of us. I want to be able to stand at the end of the road with my arms open. But right now i feel like the road is awfullly long. And i don't think that i can unlock my knees to run down the road yet... but someday maybe.... If my other daddy will pick me up and carry me there...

who else is there in my life who i need to be more graceful with? My friends at school, my partners in ministry who i don't think are doing their job right, or at least i used to think that. I remember last year being frustrated that people weren't shaping up to be the kind of christians i thought i had to be.. today i can look at those same people with grace. I can see a big distance from where i was then to where Abba has brought me now. Its one of those questions i asked him to answer, and here I am, holding it in my hand.

So this song goes out to my prodigal dad...