If we were to meet today, would you be happy to see me? If I turned up, if I showed up, would you like that? Would you smile? Would you talk to me?
What if it has been a while since I last showed up? A couple of days, a week, a month, or even ages ago. Would you still want to see me then? Would you actually enjoy seeing me?
What if I just blew it? What if my previous 24 hours had been patchy: lame at best or a full blown failure at worst? What then? Would you still want to be with me?
What if I had nothing to offer to you? What if I came to meet you without anything to contribute? What if I ended up standing before you – you in all your fullness and me with my empty hands? What then? Would that be okay? Would you still talk with me if I had nothing to offer you?
What if it was even worse – way worse? What if I actually did have something to bring to you and it was a tangled life filled with problems? What if my hands weren’t empty but were filled with troubles - difficulties which would make your life harder? What then? Would you still come? Would you still smile?
I think so.
What if it has been a while since I last showed up? A couple of days, a week, a month, or even ages ago. Would you still want to see me then? Would you actually enjoy seeing me?
What if I just blew it? What if my previous 24 hours had been patchy: lame at best or a full blown failure at worst? What then? Would you still want to be with me?
What if I had nothing to offer to you? What if I came to meet you without anything to contribute? What if I ended up standing before you – you in all your fullness and me with my empty hands? What then? Would that be okay? Would you still talk with me if I had nothing to offer you?
What if it was even worse – way worse? What if I actually did have something to bring to you and it was a tangled life filled with problems? What if my hands weren’t empty but were filled with troubles - difficulties which would make your life harder? What then? Would you still come? Would you still smile?
I think 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.
Luke 15:20
Luke 15:20