Homecoming
July 15, 2010 by Brian Smith
These are exciting times around our house. My wife’s sister who has been living in Australia for the better part of 5 years is moving back to the states and into Cottage Grove no less! They will be just a few miles away from us and we’re all excited to be reunited. Her sister & husband had their first child a few months back and decided that it was time to head for ‘home’. We are all very happy to have them back in the same area code again and of course grandma is beside herself with that new grand-baby!
All this thinking about homecomings and going back to where you are from has got me thinking about God the Father and his children; us. We read in Luke 15 about the prodigal son, who after demanding his inheritance from his father went out to make a name for himself. He failed miserably and ended up penniless, homeless & dining with the pigs! He swallows his pride and heads back home. His father could not be happier! Instead of telling him ‘I told you so’ he runs to him as soon as he sees him coming down the road, throws his arms around him and then has a party to end all parties to welcome him back.
17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20So 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.21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]‘
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
If we can get this excited (and rightfuly so) about people returning home and being near us again just think how excited our Father God is at the thought that one day we will be home with him in heaven. He paid a dear price for our lives by sending his only son Jesus to live and to die for us just so that we could be washed of our sin and truly welcomed to our eternal home in Heaven.
Check out this video below from Brian Littrell (yes, the Backstreet Boy) of his song called ‘Welcome Home (You)’, I think it’s pretty fitting…
Peace,
Brian
So this is a little crazy, but this song is a significant one in my life.
It will be 4 years ago on Monday already. It was my first summer back at home since college started and I was heading off to work. My parents live about an hour from civilization (i.e. the nearest Starbucks where I worked). As I walked out the door, the phone rang and I was annoyed that my dad had told the person calling that I was home. I grabbed the phone and heard probably the most shocking news of my life. One of my closest friends had went home to be with Jesus after a fatal motorcycle accident. I was in complete meltdown and shock mode. All I knew in that moment was that I had to go to work. Against my parents’ wishes, I dashed out the door and into my car. As I drove for the next hour to get to my job, I cried, prayed, and caught my breath again, but life was a complete and total daze. I even had to take a detour to work because the road I took was still closed from his accident. About half way through my drive, I decide to turn on the radio just to have some background noise to my loud thoughts.
I hear the words “welcome home, you! I know you by name. How do you do? I shine because of you today. Come in. Sit down. Tell me how you are. You know it’s good just to see your face…”
I will never forget that moment. It was the very first realization that Nathan was home, sitting down on Jesus’ couch, drinking a cold Dr. Pepper. It brings tears to my eyes. Oh, to be home.