My Master once told a story about a boy who left home. He didn’t “run away” per say, he in fact arrogantly and disrespectfully announced his departure and then left, head held high and ready to experience life on his own.

As sometimes happens, life kicked him right in the teeth. Soon after leaving he found himself without friends, without food and without funds. He was alone. He was helpless. He was (he thought) hopeless. Thankfully he came to his senses and decided to return to his father, whom he had thumbed his nose at as he left, begging to be taken back.

Some people might say “leave em!” or “lousy ingrate; he deserves to suffer alone for the way he treated his father!” but that was not the attitude of this father. This father showed mercy and compassion and reached out to his son (in fact he ran to meet him as he approached). He wouldn’t have his son asking to return as a servant. To the father, his son had returned and the past was in the past.

And he said, A certain man had two sons:
And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Luke 15:11-24

This Sunday is our Friends and Family Day, but it’s also our Homecoming Sunday. It could be that there is a member that you know that has walked away from Christian living. They have given up on the Lord for whatever reason. It’s easy to say “forget them!” but that’s not the right attitude. Reach out to them and maybe they will decide to come home. If they do, we will embrace them with the same love that our Father in Heaven has. The past will be the past, the future will point to Heaven.

Think about it,
have a great day!