Runaway

   

 Let me tell you a story...

    Quite a while ago, Percy, my much-too-energetic aussiedoodle, escaped the yard at the slightest crack in the gate. He shot off down the driveway and across the street, exploring the neighbors' yards and sniffing everything that wasn't his. I called his name repeatedly, whistled at him, and bribed him with treats, but he ignored me the entire time. The farther he wandered, the more frustrated I got. I knew he could hear me, and I knew that he could find his way home, so why didn't he just listen to my voice and come back into the yard where he would be safe? If he wandered too far off or into the wrong yard, he could be run over, attacked by another dog, or shot. Worry overtook my frustration as I helplessly watched him run from yard to yard down our street.

    Then I wondered, "Is this how God feels when I don't run to him for refuge?"

    At times in my life, I admit that I have put some distance between myself and my Father. I chase things of this life and forget my true purpose. I get wrapped up in my human emotions, current events, or life goals. That's when the feeling of being lost sinks in. Where am I? How did I end up here? I need to turn my attention back to the cross, my affections back to heavenly things.

    Next, the fear, shame, and guilt settle in. The realization that my heart isn't as close to God as it used to be. The wonder at how quickly that distance builds. How can I show my face to Him? How can I bear my rebellious heart to the One who created it?

    Yet, even while my brain swirls with such thoughts, God is waiting for me to take the one step forward that would bring me back into his arms.

    Only a step. 

    Just a word.

    It's so simple to come back to God. The hard part is denying the carnal side.

    Percy knew that when he came back into the yard, he was going to get scolded for getting out, so he avoided the discomfort by staying out longer. But Percy also knows that I love him. He knows that the anger I had wouldn't last forever. He would gets pets and treats at some point beyond that uncomfortable moment. I wasn't going to keep all good things from him simply because he ran away for ten minutes.

    I wasn't going to stop loving him.

    God doesn't stop loving us because we stray the path. How can he when He is love himself? Yes, there is correction in his love. We learn from what we do wrong, but the opportunity to learn from our humanity is the grace of God in action. The love of God should be the very thing that compels us to run back to the Father. Our sin may be great, but his grace is greater. (Romans 5:20) We can believe that and depend on it as we turn around and start the journey back home.

    Just imagine how happy God is when our first response to seeing how off track we are is calling on him! A child who implicitly trusts their Father will always know where to turn to when they've lost their way. God is the Father who is worthy of all our trust, all our confidence, all our hope. He will come to our rescue when we seek Him. He will lift us up when we ask. He will carry us when we can't bear any more.

    All we have to do is turn around and take one step at a time. Like Peter on the water, all we have to do is call out for him, and Jesus will immediately be there for us. Why hesitate to call on the One who can secure our eternal home? Why put off running to the arms that are strong to defend us? Why wait to draw closer to the One who already sees and knows your heart? Like the father of the prodigal son, our Good Father will run to greet you with open arms.

    He's always there waiting with grace to extend and love that endures. So go to him. Tell him everything. All your fears, all your dreams, all your emotions that don't make sense or that you're embarrassed to share with others. All the things that feel too heavy or too ridiculous are the very things he wants us to take to him. After all, He is the only one who understands us to our core and he's not afraid of our humanity.

    And please believe me when I say that I write this to encourage you as much as I write it to admonish myself. I have a tendency to run to the people I trust most before I run to God. It feels safer to share my worries, fears, and failings with other flawed humans than it does to expose myself to a holy and perfect God. Yet, I know deep down that until I stop and talk to my Father about it, the restlessness I feel will remain. For the truth of the matter is this: Humans cannot give us love, understanding, and grace to the same extent that God can.

    So run to the Father first, and when your heart is bare before Him, share your story with others. Not to seek pity or healing, but to glorify the God who stays and faithfully waits for his wandering children to came back to him.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)