The Prodigal Daughter

When I reflect upon the story of the prodigal son, God always brings me back to our prodigal story. Man... it’s a wild one. Literally and spiritually.
 
I came to UGA as a lost freshman looking for anywhere to fit in or feel like I belonged. I fell into the downtown party scene and tried to find my worth in boys, people’s approval, and perfect grades. Though I was never trying to “run away” from God, my subconscious daily decisions to pursue the things of this world drifted me farther and farther from Him.
 
One night during my second semester of freshman year, I went to a women’s conference at a local church. It was my first time back in church since my second week of college. From the moment I entered the doors, I immediately started crying and could not stop. I think my heart was trying to say what my mind was not. I was hurting so badly. At the end of the night, the woman next to me turned and said, “God’s been trying to tell me to tell you something all night and I’ve been avoiding it because I don’t know you, but I can’t any longer... He wants you to know that you are never too far from him to come home.”

WOW.
 
GOD... the Creator of our universe... the King of the world... the Beginning and the End... wanted so badly for me to know how much He missed and loved me that He spoke to me through an unsuspecting stranger.
 
God ran to me like the Father in the parable of the prodigal son ran to his son. He embraced me with love and held me in his arms while I wept and apologized for all I had done to get so far from Him.

I decided in that moment it was time to come back home.
 
A friend recently shared with me that she thought the prodigal son probably didn’t feel at home for quite a while after his return. The house wasn’t familiar, he had to rebuild or make new friendships, and he had to deal with his own shame and guilt. But the more time he spent with the father, the more it became his home.

I wish I could say that once I made the decision to come back to God, there was a 180-degree transformation in my life. But the truth is, it actually took me a long time to let go of all of my sinful ways and fully surrender to God. The truth that what the world offers pales in comparison to the life of abundance and freedom Christ died to give me took me a long time to fully understand. Throughout those years, God’s gentleness and grace guided me through a process of sanctification and healing that led my heart to full surrender.
 
I think the most important part of the prodigal son story is that the son repented of his ways and came back to his father. His return is what allowed him to experience the father’s love.

Are there areas of your heart God is asking you to surrender to him? As God reveals these areas to you, repent and ask for forgiveness. Allow Him to lead you through the process of purification and refinement. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ask God to purify you from everything that contaminates the body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Cor. 7:1).
 
God isn’t dwelling on your past... He’s dreaming about the future with you. Come dream with Him. Come home.
 
Author | Makinizi Hoover