Long Way Back
Kim and I left the huge convention hall at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago and walked back toward our room at the hotel that adjoined the convention center. The first part of our journey looked familiar as we made our way past restaurants, coffee shops and escalators that we had passed by early that morning.
Kim questioned why we were headed across the walkway that led over the street toward another large building. I was amused that she would be so turned around as I continued to lead her along the way that I was sure led back to the hotel.
When we reached the far end of the walkway and entered another huge building, it was apparent that the air conditioning was not working very well. It quickly became very warm and uncomfortable. The air was hot and stuffy. We continued to walk as it became more clear to me than I wanted to admit that we had taken a wrong turn and were in the wrong building.
I kept looking as we walked, unwilling to admit that I had led us astray. Finally, we saw a sign for our hotel that pointed to another walkway that would carry us back across the street to the sanctity of our room. I pointed to the sign and we continued to walk.
She said, "This isn't the way that we came this morning." I had to admit to her the truth. "No it's not. We shouldn't have gone the way that we went. We lost our way somehow." Thankfully, as we continued to search for the right way, we found it and got back on the right path to where we needed to be.
Along life's journey, sometimes it can be easy to lose our way. We can have the best intentions yet not be following the path that God has laid out for us. We somehow stop following His ways and begin to depend on our own ways. Even when we realize that we've gotten off track, it's hard to admit to ourselves or to anyone else that we've made mistakes which have gotten us into an unpleasant place. We may try to pretend that everything is alright and that we have everything under control. The truth is that we've lost our way and we desperately need to find our way back home.
If this sounds familiar to you, don't be upset or offended. It happened to me, too. I lost my way but I found the way back to the safety of the Father's arms. Jesus tells a story in Luke 15 about a Prodigal Son who takes his inheritance from his father and squanders it in a foreign land. He ends up feeding hogs and wishing that he could just be treated like a servant in his father's house. He realizes the error of his ways and returns to his home. Verse 20 continues the story, "And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began."
If you have wandered from the right path, you can always return. The Father is waiting for you. He will run to you and embrace you. All that you need to do is to repent and return to him. He will meet you on your way.
