How many times must and can a mother forgive and take back her lost child? As a daughter of the King, I have received grace many times over in my life. Grace I say, because God gave me the love and forgiveness that were undeserved. I never earned it nor will I ever. That is why the story of the Prodigal Son is a story that touches me to the core. It is a story that spells GRACE and tells us of a profound love a parent has for his beloved child. The first time I read it, I thought that the central character of that story was the son who squandered his inheritance, his flight and his return. Perhaps because he was the character I could relate to the most, the character among the three that was most like me. (See, how my egotism was still at play here.) Recently, I went through the story again this time with our discipleship group and it was no surprise that it still struck a chord. Okay maybe not one but two. Now I was looking at it through the eyes of both the son and the father. The prodigal daughter in me teared up once more, looking back at that fateful day when my Father welcomed me back in His family. What made the difference though was, now I could also identify with the father. Why, he was prodigal too! Because prodigal means lavish, abundant, recklessly extravagant. Spending until there was nothing left. Yes, he was reckless in his love and mercy for his son. For a parent to freely give his son's inheritance and recklessly welcoming him back without counting his son' sins against him nor demanding explanation, he is no ordinary man. Certainly there must have been anger at a betrayal from his child, and that there were hurt, colossal at that. There must have been days getting lost in bitterness and weeks where all he must have thought about was disillusionment, regret and disappointments. But I can surmise that there were many, many, many nights spent staring at the window, waiting against the odds hoping for his son's unlikely return. And much more days spent scraping his knees praying for protections for his wandering child, for God to pursue him relentlessly, for redemption and restoration. His return was an answered prayer for the father, so can you blame him for opening his arms wide instead of crossing it when the son finally returned? I certainly don't.
It left me wondering whether I would or could be as reckless as that father, in his love for his child. The immediate answer was yes. That was a quick one, you say. It is a resounding yes and someone who has received the same grace like I did, will be the ones who will truly understand this. I am a mother who fiercely love my children. I bore them. I nurtured them. I love them with all my being. They are a huge part of who I am. And I truly believe now, more than ever, that my children deserve to experience grace--the same grace God extended and had me experience when He welcomed me back in His family. Grace for my children, from me, with me, and through me. So, I truly pray that whatever choices my kids may make, whether it will hurt me or break my heart, that I may be graceful enough to forgive and love without boundaries. Like the prodigal father, and my Heavenly Father, may I have eyes that pierce through any ugly part of my child, and arms that stretches wide and open in acceptance no matter the mistake, no matter the frequency. That in the lowest points of their lives, I may pick them up, comfort them and accept them unconditionally. I know how it feels to experience all those...from my Mama, from my husband Paul and from my Heavenly Father. Grace is character-changing, soul-refreshing, life-altering. I pray that I may be able to give that to my Jam and my Leila in the very times they may need it from me. Yes every child needs grace from his/her mother. And only with Christ are we able.
..let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found...
~~Luke 15:23
And God was, too, with me.
It left me wondering whether I would or could be as reckless as that father, in his love for his child. The immediate answer was yes. That was a quick one, you say. It is a resounding yes and someone who has received the same grace like I did, will be the ones who will truly understand this. I am a mother who fiercely love my children. I bore them. I nurtured them. I love them with all my being. They are a huge part of who I am. And I truly believe now, more than ever, that my children deserve to experience grace--the same grace God extended and had me experience when He welcomed me back in His family. Grace for my children, from me, with me, and through me. So, I truly pray that whatever choices my kids may make, whether it will hurt me or break my heart, that I may be graceful enough to forgive and love without boundaries. Like the prodigal father, and my Heavenly Father, may I have eyes that pierce through any ugly part of my child, and arms that stretches wide and open in acceptance no matter the mistake, no matter the frequency. That in the lowest points of their lives, I may pick them up, comfort them and accept them unconditionally. I know how it feels to experience all those...from my Mama, from my husband Paul and from my Heavenly Father. Grace is character-changing, soul-refreshing, life-altering. I pray that I may be able to give that to my Jam and my Leila in the very times they may need it from me. Yes every child needs grace from his/her mother. And only with Christ are we able.
..let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found...
~~Luke 15:23
And God was, too, with me.