Headed Home

We need to learn from our failures. We need to encourage our children to strive for success, but when they fail, we need to show them how they can learn from it. The prodigal son failed. but his father was waiting with arms open wide.

No matter how many times we fail, God teaches us lessons through it, helps us back up, and continues to love us.

Lesson #4- It is never too late to go home.

It has been said, "You can never go home." I think a lesson we need to learn is that "It is never too late to go home." How hard must it have been for the son to go home. He had to swallow his pride. He had to face his father and tell him he has lost it all. He had to face his brother, his friends, how difficult it had to be.

There is a story told about a father and his teenage son. They had strained relationshiip, so much so that the young man finally ran away from home. Immediately the father began a journey across Spain in search of his rebellious young son. Finally after months and months of searching, he arrived in Madrid. In a last desperate effort to find his son, the father went down to the newspaper office and put an ad in the newspaper.

It simply said "Dear Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father."

The next day at noon in front of the newspaper office, 800 Pacos showed up seeking forgiveness.

It is never too late to go home. .(Illustrations, Stories and Quotes- Jim Burns and Greg Mckinnon)

The story of the prodigal son is one with a happy ending. The son is greeted with open arms, a great celebration. Joy and love. That is what God wants for our lives.

We need to apply these lessons to our lives as we allow God to work in us making the children he wants us to be.