Prodigals and Those Who Love Them

This subject is a burden on my heart since we are parents of prodigals.

In the thread over in General Topics "Witnessing to the Unchurched" two persons shared their grief in dealing with prodigals. I would like to start a thread that would focus on sharing comfort with parents of prodigals, or siblings of prodigals, or a relative who is a prodigal, or perhaps you were a prodigal and have a testimony to share. If so, please post it here.

I have a book "Prodigals and Those Who Love Them" by Ruth Bell Graham. I got it soon after our second son left the faith. Ruth shares stories of prodigals who made their way back, plus poems of comfort. It is a book worthwhile to keep in your library.

Now a testimony:

When our son was leaving the faith, I whipped myself, wondering where we as parents had gone wrong? This becomes an all consuming question, believe me. Those of you who are there know what I am am saying and need no more explanation.

One day I was in the depths of grief pondering this question: where did we go wrong? and pondering the concept that if a child has faith in the parents, when that child matures he will then shift that faith to the LORD...and why did this not happen with ....?

I was standing at the clothes washer tending to my laundry when the voice of LORD came so clear to my mind...He said: "You be mom and let me be God!" Well!!!! The burden on my mind was lifted..."Yes, I will be mom and let You be God!"

As a parent we feel the responsibility to raise our children for the LORD and when there is failure it is as though all of our life has been in vain. Especially moms.

We need encouragement....If the LORD leads you to share, please do so...

ginnyrose

Thank you ginny, for keeping your heart in this issue. I had a long conversation last night with someone told me the same thing, "You be mom and let me be God!" of course for me it would be, "You be Dad and let me be God!" so I take your post today as conformation. I know there are many,many more that have just not come forth, maybe because of pride or who knows, trust me Christians can be some of the most prideful folks there are. I told this story to the person last night, about how this guy at Bible study wrote a book on his testimony, it was an awesome read. I went to the person after reading the book, and said, why did you not mention in your book you were once an alcoholic? they said I did not think that was necessary, and how did you know that Bill? I said your wife once told me in Church long, long ago, "ouch!". I ask him how would your book ever witness to the alcoholic, if you left this out, he said don't worry it will, I just said ok. Pride, pride, pride, keep him from writing probably the most important part of his testimony in his book. If your out there and have a prodigal child, trust me, talking to others that have the same issues will help, I was so Blessed by my conversation last night, and talking to someone that has a Prodigal child, we were able to share our personal experiences. If your reading this here, you know who you are, God Bless you, for your spirit of trust, and and making the effort to contact me in this scary cyber world, I will never forget you, or your Blessing.

Whenever I have to deal with an issue, my mind always surfs the WORD for a similar incident that embodies the principles I am grappling with. So it happened one day as I was dealing with our two boys waywardness.

I did not have to read far into the WORD to find such an incident. Just read Genesis 3 and there you will find the story of Adam and Eve's fall.

Adam and Eve were absolutely perfect. They had a perfect parent, perfect education, perfect environment, perfect marriage, perfect occupation. Everything was perfect. Work conditions were perfect. It could not get any better, could it? THEN. Then the enemy came along and convinced them that all was not well, that there is more to be had if you make a choice independent of God's will and command. So they did. They choose.

Was their choice a reflection of any lack on God's part in any shape or form? No.

Granted, none of us parents can ever hope to achieve the perfectness that is God's. All of us have come short - lots of times, and the devil will make sure you do not forget those times. I have concluded that given the incident in Genesis 3 all children make choices and will do so and they may be apart from God's will.

God go with you...

ginnyrose

Keith Daniel has an excellent message on the Prodigal from his 2008 USA tour...

http://media.sermonindex.net/18/SID18262.mp3

Thanks for this thread, sister.

wondering where we as parents had gone wrong? This becomes an all consuming question, believe me. Those of you who are there know what I am am saying and need no more explanation.

I too have prodigals, and I know what you are saying, I have done a lot of that. Too much of that. This is such a deep pain.

But I have thought of Samuel, whose sons didn't "walk in his ways." What did Samuel do wrong?

Or God Himself, who said, "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me" (Isa. 1.2).

...Not that I find real comfort in those verses.

I think the greatest comfort I am able to find is the hope and realization that God is not finished yet, and that He is working on a great unveiling and revelation of Himself that is going to turn many to Him.

I also love the passage at the end of Malachi in which He says there will come a ministry in the spirit of Elijah that turns the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers...

So, I see times of great repentance coming.

...Also the one about God's promise to "Rachel," weeping for her children because they were not. They had gone into captivity in Babylon (the world).

"Thus saith the LORD: Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border" (Jer. 31.16).

So... comfort of the Scriptures.

What a lovely thread. GinnyRose, that piece about Adam & Eve was as clearly put as I have ever seen. I also loved the comfort for Rachel's weeping. I have been touched by every post here, thank you all.

white stone

Yes, thank you for posting this Sandra. Though I do not have children, the sobriety of having my children(future tense God willing) saved has been hitting me for the last few days. That I do not care what they look like, what they dress like,or anything else!, but GOD SAVE MY CHILDREN!! If and when I have some. It's not too early to start praying for them is it. ;) Just kidding, sort of.

Been opening up to this scripture lately as well Is 59:21. When we lift up the standard of the Lord, He will save our children!! (my paraphrase)