Anyone who knows my Wildman Son, Jason...
Knows there is no such thing as doing things small. He lives life large… very large…
Take for example this past week-end… the first 8 hour home visit of our newly inaugurated Wildman, Noah, from Teen Challenge… Jason’s son. Jason has been looking forward to, and planning for, Noah’s 8-hour since Noah enrolled in Teen Challenge in February. First… we need a deck… not just any deck… a “living life large” deck… complete with an outdoor cooking area, an octagon seating area, privacy walls, lights, flower baskets complete with electronic watering system, a pergola ceiling, granite counter tops…
And the Green Egg!!!
The Green Egg, a master chef grilling phenom, has been a dream of my son for 6 years. No doubt about it… in Jason’s mind this had to enter the scene for Noah’s Homecoming. Extra jobs… extra hours… nights and week-ends… the money started trickling into Jason’s savings account. Finally, last Thursday, Ace Hardware delivered the Green Egg, with all the extras and gently placed it in the perfectly cut circle in the granite counter top. Charcoal and wood chips fired up, the grilling began.
Saturday morning at 3:00 AM...
The alarm next to Jason’s bed connected wirelessly to two temperature probes nestled securely in 22 pounds of pork tenderloin, signaled it’s time for grilling phase #2. Jason hadn’t been sleeping… I don’t know this to be a fact, but knowing my son, he was probably laying on his side watching the temperature rise on the alarm one degree every few minutes. Preparation of phase #2 complete… probes back in place… temperature adjusted on the Egg… there was way too much excitement for sleep…
His son was coming home!
Psalm 121:4 says, “He who watches over us never slumbers or sleeps.” I believe I know why… and no… it’s not because God just bought a Green Egg! He’s way too excited for us to come home! And… like Jason, God lives large… way large! Jason built a deck… John 14:2 says, “In the house of my Father are many mansions; and if not, I would have told you; I go on to prepare a place for you!” Jason grilled pork tenderloin… Revelation 19:9 says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Jesus wanted us to know...
How much God is anticipating our homecoming by giving us the story of the Father watching for his son’s return in Luke 15. The story tells us, “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." Then he killed the fattened calf, (put it on the Green Egg of the day) and prepared a feast. I’m thinking there wasn’t much time to sleep for this father as he waited with hopeful anticipation for his son’s return.
Like Jason… like this loving father… our Heavenly Father is waiting… hoping… excited for your return home. And no… God is not mad at you… you haven’t strayed to far from home… your failures… your mistakes… are not to monumental to overcome. Trust in the fact God’s got you on this and his outstretched, loving arms are waiting to embrace you.
The fattened calf is on the Green Egg. It’s time to party!
Come on home…
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