Waiting on the prodigal son

Let me start off by saying, Happy New Year!  I hope this year is everything that you've hoped for and more!!

The story of the prodigal son has been brought to my mind many times this week.  I believe that  God puts stories in the Bible so that we can learn from them.  I've heard the story of the prodigal son many times.  I know that the prodigal son went to a far country, lived wild, spent all of his money, lost his friends and ended up in a pig pen because he was so hungry. 

The part of the story that never really occured to me until the other day was even though the son was living the wrong life, bringing shame to his father's name and spending all of his inheritance, the father never went to the far country to find his son.  Even though the father had servants that he could have used to go to the far country and bring his son back or perhaps just keep and eye on his son, he did not do this.  Instead, the Bible tells us that when the son came to his senses and started back home, the father saw him from a distance and ran to him. 

As parents, and I think especially mothers, it is so hard for us to sit back and watch our children make mistakes.  Parents know the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into raising our children and we want only the best for them.  However, sometimes the best and only thing we can do for our children when they go to the "far country" is sit back, pray, watch and wait.  But sitting back and watching is not an easy thing for a parent to do, it tears our hearts out and brings us low.

I currently find myself like the father in our story, my child has gone off to the "far country" where he might make mistakes, he might harm his good name, and I want so much to run to the far country, take my child by his hand and lead him back to the safety of home, back to where he cannot get in trouble, back to where he is loved so much.  But I just keep reminding myself that the father waited patiently for his son to come home.  The father waited and when the son came to his senses, he went back home into the open arms of his father.

Are you going through the pain of your child going into the "far country"?  Even though it is easy to do, remind yourself that God is in control.  God knew your child was going to do this before it happened and He has a plan for both of your lives.  Trust God to do a work through your child, stand back, pray, watch, wait, read Romans 8:28, and remember that God loves you so much!

Let's determine to do what is best for our children no matter how hard it may be.