Most of us are familiar with the parable that Jesus told about the loving father(a prototype of God) and his reckless, hedonistic son (a prototype of God’s children).  This young man was trying to figure out, “who am I” !  This demanding child wanted his inheritance, NOW, because he believed money would give him the power needed to make his life happy and complete. The wise, loving Father gave the son his inheritance, and let him go. At first, all seemed to be going the young man’s way, but as time went on, chaos replaced any semblance of stability and his entire life whirled out of control. But even in this place of misery, the son continued in his pride, trying to make his way apart from the Father’s help. The son continued on from one bad job to another- lost his friends- became homeless- lost everything! But if this way of life had worked for the son, he wouldn’t have gotten desperate enough to look for a better way to live. The wise Father knew that his son had to find out, for himself, that he wasn’t living as the person he was created to be. Nor, did this wise man enable or rescue his son prematurely from the pain that was being used to produce the growth necessary to lead him back to the Father. When the prodigal “came to himself,” he discovered  “who am I” -I am my Father’s child…and I want to fulfill the life I was created to live.  On his return home, the Father received his son with unconditional love and said, “This my son was dead but now is alive.. This my son was lost but now is found!” Then they had a real party and celebrated the life of the returning prodigal!

“Then when he came to himself he said,… ‘I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight'” (Luke 15:17a 18).