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The father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring
out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat
and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he
was lost and is found!” (Luke
15:22-24)
Who
you are
Anyone who has ever lost a child in a shopping mall
understands the heart of God.
Sorting through a rack of clothes, you look down, and a
cold, hollow chill twists your stomach. Turning one way, then another, she is
not there. Feverish, you rush down one aisle and up another. Where did she go?
She was here a moment ago. Is she still in the store? Did she run into the mall?
Dark fears race through the mind and a wave of nausea
sickens, as you turn wildly about, looking. Until. Until you hear the sing-song
of a tiny voice and see the curve of a familiar cheek, or perhaps you hear her
tearful lament as she cannot find you, and you fly to enfold her in your arms,
a tear of relief in your eye because the lost is found.
Fear evaporates … for both of you … as you stroke her
hair and cradle her close. “Where were you? I didn’t know where you were. You
scared me.”
The words are not spoken in anger but in love, joy and
relief, and you return to your shopping but shaken, promising yourself you will
never turn away again.
Hold this moment. Listen to everything it has to
teach. For in this moment, you know who God is; you know the Love you are
created to enjoy, the Love to whom you can return every time you feel lost or
alone, empty or afraid.
You are a child of a Great Love who longs for your
nearness. This Love is your home, a home from which we wander like the prodigal
son, creating pain in our hearts and in the heart of God.
Every day should end with a few quiet moments alone
with God, reconnecting with your home that you may remember who you are … and
rest in the Love who hungers for you.
Pr.
David L. Miller
