Front Porch Wisdom

Sometimes God gives us lessons on the same topic...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...(or, in sequence :) you know?  When we are working through our own struggles...work is stressful, we are facing some disappointment, life just seems harder than it should be....it is tough to be compassionate...understandably, because our focus is on our current situation.  But, we can fight to see beyond that and to experience peace in the midst of it.  So, I read the Our Daily Bread devotional for today and it really gave more insight on compassion...like what I started to talk about from my lesson out of Nehemiah last night. Here's a story from it that I thought would be so refreshing if I were in the same situation:

"....When we were going through a particularly challenging time with our son, a friend pulled me aside after a church meeting. “I want you to know that I pray for you and your son every day,” he said. Then he added: “I feel so guilty.”  “Why?” I asked. “Because I’ve never had to deal with prodigal children,” he said. “My kids pretty much played by the rules. But it wasn’t because of anything I did or didn’t do. Kids,” he shrugged, “make their own choices.”  I wanted to hug him. His compassion was a reminder, a gift from God, communicating to me the Father’s understanding for my struggle with my son.  No one understands the struggle with prodigals better than our heavenly Father. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is our story and God’s. Jesus told it on behalf of all sinners who so desperately need to come home to their Creator and discover the warmth of a loving relationship with Him.  Jesus is God in the flesh seeing us in the distance and looking on us with compassion. He is God running to us and throwing His arms around us. He is heaven’s kiss welcoming the repentant sinner home (v. 20).  God hasn’t just left the porch light on for us. He’s out on the front porch watching, waiting, calling us home.  We ask again today, Lord, that our prodigals would come home."

Isn't this cross made out of pieces of an old door an awesome idea for someone who is praying for a prodigal to come home?  I LOVE it for the STYLE....but also the MESSAGE!  If that is you....if you are praying for a prodigal in your life....I pray for miracles at your front door.