Only One Way Home

There were a lot of people traveling over these last few weeks. In many ways the airport can be either a wonderful time or a sad time, depending on which way you are going. I’ve written about this before and now again because of all the feelings we can see or experience at these junctures in time.

There are sad moments when you are dropping someone off and even some stresses on the arrival deck as you are thinking, will they be there to meet me, were they held up by traffic? There can be so many more feelings. Then there are those moments when people see each other and you can tell which person coming to see which person. When all of us see our loved one, the negatives drop away as smiles, hugs and sometimes a few tears show up.

Our lives are something like that. We come, we go and an inner feeling we ultimately find our way home. In the bible when we read about the Prodigal son, we can feel so many of the emotion an airport brings. In the passage, the son, is excited about leaving and making his mark in the world. Or, he may have just wanted to get away from dad and his brother. It was time to become the man he thought he wanted to be. He was so happy to leave. But dad cried sad tears.

When he finally figured out that he made a mistake and wanted to come home, he was gripped by fear. In our modern eyes, we can see this individual getting off the plane and making his way to the arrivals gate. There was no one there to greet him as he made his way in silence. He didn’t have the bag he had when he left, because there was nothing left. He gets out of the airport, gets on the bus and starts the trip to what used to be his childhood neighbourhood and home.

Getting close, he gets off the bus, with fear in his heart. He continues the short walk to the house. Couple of blocks later, he turns the final corner. His heart is beating so hard and so fast. He is on this all too familiar street and there is dad sitting on the porch looking his way. He practiced over and over what he was going to say. Dad started walking quickly to his son. Embracing him, dad cries happy tears because this time there is joy that the son that had been lost to him, is back. Not to a house, but home.

That is what happens every time we come home to God our Father after we wandered away. Just wondering, are you home?

Something to think about

Rob