August 5, 2008 IOW
“I do not know that the prodigal saw his father, but his father saw him. The eyes of mercy are quicker than the eyes of repentance. Even the eyes of our faith is dim compared with the eye of God’s love. He sees a sinner long before a sinner sees Him.”C.H. Spurgeon (Sermon based upon the Prodigal Son)
The spare bedroom was quiet. The only things left behind were the bed and dresser with the newly purchased toy box beside them. Leaving without notice our daughter and one month old grandchild were gone. Sitting on the edge of the bed in the empty room with only the full length mirrors to stare at and the open window beside me all I could do was watch and pray. It seemed kind of useless to stare at the mirror in front of me. After all, I didn’t need to see the tears I already felt. Buckets of water flowing down the path God directed for them drenching my shirt below. Looking down the road seemed to offer more hope, For every car that drove by my hope held strong that my love ones would be inside one of them on their return trip home.
Where had they gone? Why did they leave? Are they safe? Would I ever hold my only grandchild in my arms again? A month wasn’t long enough I wanted to see her grow up, take her first step, mumble her first word. Where were they, where were they! What did I do wrong as a mom? Was I to blame? Had I not followed God as I should? Where did my prayers go? Were they stuck half way to heaven? Wasn’t God aware of what was going on? Couldn’t He see? The question machine went on and on and on.
A week had passed since she left. The time was 11:30 at night when we got a call from local police. Our granddaughter and daughter were safe after our daughter’s boyfriend pulled a knife on her. Could we please come and get them. Without hesitation we were out in the dark following the directions to where they had been for the last week. Our daughter and granddaughter were back in our arms again, Praise the Lord.
What Charles Spurgeon said in today’s quote is so true. If you read about the prodigal son in Luke 15:20 it says just that. “And he (the son) arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” That’s the way I felt that night. Truly it was the father that spotted him first. Why, because he was looking for him through the eyes of mercy in hopes of him coming home. When he did it wasn’t a “why did you do that.” But a, “kill the fatted calf we’re going to celebrate. Praise the Lord!”
“I do not know that the prodigal saw his father, but his father saw him. The eyes of mercy are quicker than the eyes of repentance. Even the eyes of our faith is dim compared with the eye of God’s love. He sees a sinner long before a sinner sees Him.”C.H. Spurgeon (Sermon based upon the Prodigal Son)
The spare bedroom was quiet. The only things left behind were the bed and dresser with the newly purchased toy box beside them. Leaving without notice our daughter and one month old grandchild were gone. Sitting on the edge of the bed in the empty room with only the full length mirrors to stare at and the open window beside me all I could do was watch and pray. It seemed kind of useless to stare at the mirror in front of me. After all, I didn’t need to see the tears I already felt. Buckets of water flowing down the path God directed for them drenching my shirt below. Looking down the road seemed to offer more hope, For every car that drove by my hope held strong that my love ones would be inside one of them on their return trip home.
Where had they gone? Why did they leave? Are they safe? Would I ever hold my only grandchild in my arms again? A month wasn’t long enough I wanted to see her grow up, take her first step, mumble her first word. Where were they, where were they! What did I do wrong as a mom? Was I to blame? Had I not followed God as I should? Where did my prayers go? Were they stuck half way to heaven? Wasn’t God aware of what was going on? Couldn’t He see? The question machine went on and on and on.
A week had passed since she left. The time was 11:30 at night when we got a call from local police. Our granddaughter and daughter were safe after our daughter’s boyfriend pulled a knife on her. Could we please come and get them. Without hesitation we were out in the dark following the directions to where they had been for the last week. Our daughter and granddaughter were back in our arms again, Praise the Lord.
What Charles Spurgeon said in today’s quote is so true. If you read about the prodigal son in Luke 15:20 it says just that. “And he (the son) arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” That’s the way I felt that night. Truly it was the father that spotted him first. Why, because he was looking for him through the eyes of mercy in hopes of him coming home. When he did it wasn’t a “why did you do that.” But a, “kill the fatted calf we’re going to celebrate. Praise the Lord!”
We all, or at least a great deal of people, have their prodigal child stories to tell. Whether it was their own love one or something they did themselves, some with good endings some with bad. Others still watching and waiting for the time of the return to happen years after the fact.
We are so fortune the eyes of mercy are quicker than our repentance and the fact that the light of God’s love shines brighter than our faith ever could. God is watching we don’t need to question that. Our prayers are reaching Heaven. God is aware. No matter how dim, we need to keep our eyes of faith on Him.
Spiritually the story of the prodigal is no different. Each of us is guilty in some way of taking on the role of the prodigal child. Taking our spiritual inheritance and run with it. Walking away from God thinking we can handle it on our own. No matter how slow in our return God is watching, His eyes are on the road waiting for our return. Long before we realize we are headed home to Him He sees us coming. Praise the Lord. I think I need to go cry, too late I already am! Thank you Jesus, thank you! I love you sovereign God.
Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
7 comments:
Wow, such a heart touching post. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Praise God for the return of your precious daughter and granddaughter, and for their safety. And God bless you for sharing such a poignant story and tying it in so beautifully with how much the Father loves us and looks for our return when we've wandered.
Wow. What a powerful post. Bless you for touching my life today.
A mother's heart toward a wayward child is only a small window into the depth of GOd's heart for us. ANd if you were so eager to see your daughter again and so willing to forgive, why wouldn't He be all the more so? Thanks for sharing your story!
Wow, what a powerful story of God's restoration, and great love.
So blessed it has a good ending.
God is so faithful, so loving and full of mercy toward us all.
Bless God!!
Thanks for sharing so honestly. I am often afraid of speaking so openly about the broken relationships in my family, because I worry that other women will see me as a failure. But you have given me the courage to speak more truthfully about the pain of wayward children, because there are obviously others out there who have experienced similar kinds of situations. Thanks for stopping by my blog, too!
Thank you so much for sharing the story of your daughter and grandchild. I am sure it gives other families hope, as they pray for their children.
Just a friendly reminder, you are hosting on Tuesday. I am looking forward to it!
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