Shipwrecked
Ever felt shipwrecked? Tipped over, washed up, and battered by the incoming tide? Yeah, me, too. Yet, we know from scripture that He is present. His Presence is everything. It says “come.” It says, “I’ve been waiting…with arms open wide.” Why wouldn’t we run to the Father again, and again, and again?
Prodigal Son — Waiting Father
Do you remember the story that Jesus told of the wayward son who returned at along last to his father?
The Father is the hero in this story, for hope against hope we find him scanning the horizon, searching for the familiar form of this beloved child, returning home. Ah, the love of the Father.
20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
21The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.b’
22But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:20-24
Jesus Knows
Our Lord Jesus knew, didn’t He? Knew just what stories He’d tell we wayward ones, we human prodigals, we children of Adam.
Jesus told such stories, seeking to correct the people. The faulty image of His Father needed replacing. You can almost hear Christ saying,
“Look! This is Who my Father is! This merciful lover of souls! Return!”
Run To The Father
Today’s song is Cody Carnes’ Run to the Father. It celebrates this returning, this action of choosing to run toward the waiting Father.
“I run to the Father,
I fall into grace,
I’m done with the hiding, no reason to wait,
my heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend,
so I run to the Father, again…”
I don’t know if Cody was thinking about the passage from Lake 15, or something else. Yet the invitation is there–we are invited into the Father’s arms, in whatever state we are in.
A Weary Soul Runs
Today I wasn’t so much a prodigal returning, as a soul shipwrecked on the shoals of grief and disappointment. Waves of sorrow washed over me, and as the sadness grew, I knew I would need to make a choice.
I could stay onboard that leaky craft, and study the waters of grief as they poured into my boat, over my head, drowning my joy. Or, not.
Today I nearly forgot all about the hope I have in Him. I was wobbling.
I nearly let this hard thing obscure the bedrock underneath the seas, that solid, steady, sure truth underneath it all. The Rock that provides quiet joy and lasting peace whenever I return to His presence.
Consistently Inconsistent
Some hours of the day, I am there. I surrender my cares to the Almighty. In those moments, I walk away free, burden released, rejoicing in how wonderful He is.
Other hours of any random day you’d find me holding on to my burdens. I am disconsolate, focusing on this heartache, this situation, this loss. I fervently want things different.
Some moments I’m brave in the face of a certain challenge, and in others I’m plunged into anxiety, or overwhelming sorrow.
One moment I am assured of His unending love and Presence. Then I forget, and I act as though I have to tough it out all by myself in this old world, alone, bereft of comfort, abandoned.
Consistent Father Love
Yet He never wavers. Nor does He scowl because I wobble. I guess my faith is wobbly– sometimes forgetting, sometimes remembering Who He is, and Whose I am. And yet He remains full of love, acceptance and welcome. Even for wobblers.
So we return! We know where to run, where to find Grace. Where we are held.
Welcomed.
Wanted.
Found.
Today, may these words become yours. Allow the gentle music to lead you to the Father. Lead your own wobbly soul back to the One who is Love. Run to Him as many times as you need.
He is eager to see you. He is waiting.
Listen to more, from the Salty playlist.