Better Off
Megan Breedlove 
Yesterday morning, our church held an awards ceremony for the children during the education hour. This ceremony was designed to recognize the children for the work they’ve done all year long in attending Sunday School, demonstrating good effort in learning, mastering Bible knowledge, etc. There was also a light lunch served, which is always welcome.
About two-thirds of the way through the ceremony, Phil got Timmy out of the nursery so he could feed him some lunch. Timmy didn’t seem to be interested in eating it, though. He was restless. So Phil got up and stood with him at the back of the room. This didn’t pacify Timmy, however. He wanted down. He struggled and made those little “eh-eh-eh” noises that mean “Put me down!” Phil let him down, ready to scoop him up again if necessary.
It wasn’t. Timmy took three steps toward the middle of the room, looked around at the crowd, and turned and darted back to Phil, stretching his arms up to be picked up. Thereafter, he was content to remain in Phil’s arms.
You and I know how he felt. There have been times in all of our lives when we weren’t content with the situation we were in. When we wanted out of it. When we kicked and struggled and protested. Sometimes when we do that, God remains firm and refuses to allow us to have our own way (thanks be to Him). Other times, God says, “Okay, fine. You want your own way? I’ll let you see what that’s like.”
At first, we’re happy. Maybe even relieved. We start toward the Promised Land, whatever that is—that thing we’d previously been denied. But then, hopefully, we stop. We realize, Wait a minute. This is big and scary. This is not for me, and we turn and run back to our Father’s arms.
“See?” God says, receiving us back. “That was not for you.”
Other times, however, we wade right into the middle of what we think is the Promised Land before realizing, far too belatedly, that it isn’t what we thought it would be. It’s full of heartbreak and confusion, not joy and peace. God was right after all. We were wrong.
In those moments, moms, we sometimes make the awful mistake of assuming that it’s too late. That God won’t want us back anymore. That we’re stuck with the path we’ve chosen. That there’s no way to go back.
But there’s always a way back, and a Person to receive us when we return.
You see, no sin has to separate us from God permanently. That’s exactly why Jesus died—so we could be close to God for all eternity. If we wander (or run) too far away, we can always turn back, because God is always willing to receive us. He’s always waiting for us to come home and realize that we were better off with Him, even though we didn’t have what we thought we wanted.
Jesus told a story about a son who royally messed up his life (see Luke 15:13-23). This young man totally blew it, and it was his own fault. (There was really no way to see it otherwise.) He had spurned his father and his father’s grace and love and gone his own way, toward what he thought was the Promised Land. But when he got there, he found out that it wasn’t. It was a land of desperation and aloneness, separated from the father who loved him.
So he made plans to return and then put those plans into action. He returned and began to confess his sin. But even before he could get the words out of his mouth, his father—who had been waiting and watching for him, by the way, despite his behavior—met him and restored him to fellowship.
Precious mom, do you need to return from a far country today? Do you need to admit that the Promised Land, well, isn’t? Do you need to realize how much better off you had it when you were following God and living in harmony with Him?
Don’t delay. Run back. God is watching for you, and His arms are open and waiting to receive you. Don’t delay.
Luke 15:20—So 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. (NIV)
One of my daughter Ellie’s best friends is a young lady named Anastasia. Only a month older than Ellie, she and Ellie have become fast friends over the past few years. A few nights ago, Anastasia and three of her siblings stayed overnight with us. The next morning after breakfast and plenty of DVD watching, I took the kids outside to play.
There’s just something about sparkly pink shoes that attracts young girls. Young boys, too, as it turns out. That is, toddler boys. Specifically, Timmy.
The other day around suppertime, some friends of ours were on their way over. Our refrigerator had died in the middle of the night, and our friends were going to help us get rid of the old one and pick up the new one I’d bought. In order to feed everyone, I decided to order pizza. My kids were well aware that I was planning on calling for pizza. In fact, they were ecstatic.