MY FATHER’S LOVE
Andrea’s father was a public figure known by everyone in the community. You can call and rely upon him to settle whatever problems you’re facing in your family. He was married for years before his wife went to be with the Lord. Both of them had raised their children in the fear of the Lord. They are respected people and he is a man of integrity.
But Andrea’s marriage did not work out she married twice the first marriage crumbled and she was warned before she went into that marriage the second marriage as well because of a lack of sensitivity in the spirit both marriages became like a stigma to her father’s ministry. At the lowest point of her life when the second marriage failed she had to return home.
When she was thinking of going back home a lot of thoughts passed through her mind, will she be welcomed? Will she not be blamed for being disobedient to his parents? Will she find that same love in the sight of her father? How will she be treated? Among all of them 4 siblings she’s the only one whose marriage did not work out. Will that not make her the black sheep of the family? But she had nowhere to go; she just had to return home.
On her way home she was praying “Father whatever may be the situation at home, give me the grace to be able to handle it”.
Her father is now advanced in age, she puts a call through that she’ll be home and the father says she’s free to come. Even at that, she was still afraid on the day she went back home. All through the duration of the journey her mind was not at rest. As she was approaching their humble home where her parents had lived for years and where everyone had come to see her father for counsel when they were in any form of challenge and return with smiles on their faces; she approached this same house with a heavy heart but not sure if she would smile back.
Behold, her father was standing on the porch where he usually stands to welcome guests into their home. When she got to the entrance of the house, her father opened his arms and said welcome my daughter he gave her a warm embrace and both of them cried. Tears rolled down her cheeks and that was the day her father was able to preach to her and demonstrate to her what he had preached all his ministerial life that GOD IS LOVE.
You may not know the depth of this love until you need to run to His arms. GOD IS A FATHER! That was the day she understood what it meant to have a father.
Are you ready as a father to open your arms and receive back your child willing to return home? Andrea saw the demonstration of love and this melted her heart.
If that child should come back and ask for forgiveness are you ready to do what God did for us as Christians? Fathers, are you set to help that child to regain his or her happiness in Christ?
Returning home is not easy but when a swayed loved one decides to return, let him or her see the pure love of God through you.
The story of the prodigal son explains it all. Luke 15:18 -24
I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this, my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
It’s not just a parable to Andrea it is more than a parable her father was able to show her that every word that Jesus said was true.
The father’s LOVE is real.
If you will give your shoulder to outsiders to cry and comfort them, why not your child? We are the last hope when they are down. Let’s support them. Let’s encourage them. Let’s identify their weakness. Yours may not come like that of Andrea, it may be school failure, lack of job, character dents, drugs etc. Whatever may be the case be ready to act like our heavenly father His arms are open to receive back his children when they return home.