There is Hope
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When he finally came to his senses… Luke 15:17 NLT
Nudging The Prodigal Home
God has His own ways of nudging the prodigal home. The men’s glee club sang a popular song during my college days (usually reserved for an encore):
If a nest of wild hornets
were left in the room,
And the creatures
allowed to go free.
They would not compel
you to go ‘gainst your will
They’d just make you
willing to flee.
Written by Ruth Bell Graham, “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them”
“And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”
Jeremiah 31:17
• There are NO magic formulas. You cannot find the “right book” or the right Pastor to “fix” this. But God has and will equip you for this! You must seek God; search His word for what He has for you in this specific situation. You cannot buy into satan’s lie that you have done something wrong as parents and it’s all your fault. We have all done a few things wrong but we have also done A LOT of things right. God knows our hearts – we have always tried and trusted Him. He does NOT punish us with this situation. (Nor is He punishing our child).
• You must remain united as parents, as husband and wife. Don’t let your child know if there is a disagreement with how you feel a situation is to be handled. Work it out as parents, and then come united before your child. God will honor this. If there is some compromise necessary, take it before the Lord in prayer but come together in agreement.
• Confide in someone you feel comfortable with. Let them be prayerfully covering you. There are times I am sure someone else’s prayers got me through a situation, because I just could not pray. It is so important that you ask for help. I have called my “friend” when I felt all alone, and was sure God had abandoned me. How many times she reminded me (usually over the phone while I cried) “God Is Faithful, He is aware, He is in control, He does care, He hurts even more than I do over this…” It will be very important to lean on your trusted friends. One word of caution here, however. Be careful WHO you share your “stuff” with. Some can be critical and judgmental. That’s the last thing you need right now!
• Maintain an attitude of gratitude. Prison, jail, juvenile hall, drug addiction, homosexuality… These are NOT the worst places our child could be. We need to be grateful they are not drawing their last breath following a suicide attempt or cancer. They are alive, strong willed, intelligent and exercising their own free will. God CAN and will use all of this, mistakes and all, to bless them and others later. We must hang on to this hope! God makes beauty from ashes! Our children belong to HIM! They are His!
• We must just continue to give them unconditional love – however that is translated for us – for our children. Being careful not to enable them or make this rebellious period too comfortable for them.
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