modern prodigal...from my facebook page
the book i'm working through, asked me to journal something...and it was so thought provoking that i thought i would write it here. It evoked such strong emotion, i thought it might be relevant to you too...
Its from a girly book, so I only tagged my favorite chicky's.
here was the assignment in a section about being a prodigal child:
" Close your eyes and imagine the father running to you. not when you've gotten it all figured out and fessed up, but right now, in the midst of your life. Today-in your kitchen or at your desk or sitting on top of your bed. Wherever you are right now, imagine the God of the universe running to hold you."
here's what I pictured...
I'm sitting here, looking at facebook and I hear horns honking outside. They're blaring as they pull in. I run to the window...and there he is, driving up in a beat up van..music blasting. His tires squeal around the corner, because he's so glad to see me again. I run outside to the landing of the steps where I can see him better now. He moves so quickly He struggles to get free from the seat belt and out of the door...He jumps down from the step of the van, and holding the open door he looks up at me. I'm smiling three floors above. He heaves the door shut with a thud and runs to me in the same motion. He's running and I, giggling with tears in my eyes, watch him through the floor as he takes the steps two and three at a time. I run down a few stairs to meet him on the second landing. He makes it to the landing when I'm just a few steps up...and I fall into His arms. He laughs with relief to know I'm ok, and alive, and still love Him. He tells me how glad he is to see me, how much He's missed me, how much He loves me...He puts my feet back on the ground, because He knows how afraid of heights I am...he wraps my arm around his, weaving His fingers with mine and says, "Let's get out of here!" We run down the steps and I pause..."WAIT! the puppy!!!" He laughs and yells, "Hey Taylor!!" And the puppy runs out the still open door, beats us to the van and hops in the back. We hit the ground and He turns to me, looks me in the eye and says, "Can we do my plan now?" I smile with wet eyes and He bends to throw me over His shoulder. I squeal and wiggle and He plants me firmly in the seat next to him...i look in the back of the van, and there are some really cool looking folks, who seem to love Him..Apparently we're all going on this journey together. They tell some jokes about how slow I am...and how I've been holding them up...all the while their eyes saying, " This journey wouldn't be any fun without you."
I take one last look at the apartment with all my "Stuff." I wonder what to do with it all, will I keep paying rent, what about my job, what about my credit rating. And where are we going? Do I need clothes, my guitar, my gun? He can see in my eyes the apprehension I'm feeling and says, "my grace is sufficient."
I stare at Him for a moment..the doubt wrestling a lump in my throat and ache in the pit of my stomach. My brow furrows in an attempt to question His decision; as though to say, "Are you sure....do you remember all of the...."
He rubs my wrinkled brow with a thumb and kisses me on the forehead. He rests His forehead on mine so as to get his eyes perfectly in line with my own and says in a deep, low voice, "as far as the east is from the west."
He leans back in His seat, adjusts the mirrors and turns to me, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
I look back confused.
"Seat belt," He smiles.
He turns on the van and we drive away.
Now that you've been tagged...its your turn...what's your picture?
Its from a girly book, so I only tagged my favorite chicky's.
here was the assignment in a section about being a prodigal child:
" Close your eyes and imagine the father running to you. not when you've gotten it all figured out and fessed up, but right now, in the midst of your life. Today-in your kitchen or at your desk or sitting on top of your bed. Wherever you are right now, imagine the God of the universe running to hold you."
here's what I pictured...
I'm sitting here, looking at facebook and I hear horns honking outside. They're blaring as they pull in. I run to the window...and there he is, driving up in a beat up van..music blasting. His tires squeal around the corner, because he's so glad to see me again. I run outside to the landing of the steps where I can see him better now. He moves so quickly He struggles to get free from the seat belt and out of the door...He jumps down from the step of the van, and holding the open door he looks up at me. I'm smiling three floors above. He heaves the door shut with a thud and runs to me in the same motion. He's running and I, giggling with tears in my eyes, watch him through the floor as he takes the steps two and three at a time. I run down a few stairs to meet him on the second landing. He makes it to the landing when I'm just a few steps up...and I fall into His arms. He laughs with relief to know I'm ok, and alive, and still love Him. He tells me how glad he is to see me, how much He's missed me, how much He loves me...He puts my feet back on the ground, because He knows how afraid of heights I am...he wraps my arm around his, weaving His fingers with mine and says, "Let's get out of here!" We run down the steps and I pause..."WAIT! the puppy!!!" He laughs and yells, "Hey Taylor!!" And the puppy runs out the still open door, beats us to the van and hops in the back. We hit the ground and He turns to me, looks me in the eye and says, "Can we do my plan now?" I smile with wet eyes and He bends to throw me over His shoulder. I squeal and wiggle and He plants me firmly in the seat next to him...i look in the back of the van, and there are some really cool looking folks, who seem to love Him..Apparently we're all going on this journey together. They tell some jokes about how slow I am...and how I've been holding them up...all the while their eyes saying, " This journey wouldn't be any fun without you."
I take one last look at the apartment with all my "Stuff." I wonder what to do with it all, will I keep paying rent, what about my job, what about my credit rating. And where are we going? Do I need clothes, my guitar, my gun? He can see in my eyes the apprehension I'm feeling and says, "my grace is sufficient."
I stare at Him for a moment..the doubt wrestling a lump in my throat and ache in the pit of my stomach. My brow furrows in an attempt to question His decision; as though to say, "Are you sure....do you remember all of the...."
He rubs my wrinkled brow with a thumb and kisses me on the forehead. He rests His forehead on mine so as to get his eyes perfectly in line with my own and says in a deep, low voice, "as far as the east is from the west."
He leans back in His seat, adjusts the mirrors and turns to me, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
I look back confused.
"Seat belt," He smiles.
He turns on the van and we drive away.
Now that you've been tagged...its your turn...what's your picture?
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