So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20

I love the story of the prodigal son. It is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Since that is the case, I have read this portion of Luke 15 on numerous occasions. The Word is alive and powerful, and we never stop gleaning truths from the riches of its pages. This was proven to me yet again when my husband pointed out an aspect of this story that I had never seen before. This new perspective brought this passage alive in a new way that I found extremely meaningful.

When we read about the prodigal we often focus on the foolish choices that led him to the pig pen, or perhaps the angry older brother. Our hearts are moved we visualize the father catching his first glimpse of his son from afar. We are intrigued with what happened...the details of how the story plays out. But maybe we should, for just a brief moment, place some emphasis on what didn't happen.

The truth about humanity is that we usually want people to explain themselves. We demand to hear the reasons why someone has wronged us. We want to know what thought process went into foolish choices.

In this passage the father saw his son coming, and immediately began to run to him. He did not stop to ask questions before he threw his arms around him, and kissed him.

He demanded no explanation. He just loved him. Period.

Sometimes we need to see this. The truth about God. About His character.

I don't know what kind of week you have had. I don't know what mistakes or choices you may have made. If you are anything like me (please, tell me you are!!) then there are times when it feels like you get it wrong more than you get it right.

Run to Him. He is running to you.

He loves me. He loves you. He loves.

Period.

~Tracy Bowen