The Turnaround

Back before I owned a cell phone or a GPS device, I relied on maps (yes, physical paper maps) and verbal directions from people to get me from here to there. It's amazing I found my way anywhere back then! Today, I use GPS just to get to the local grocery store, it seems! ha!

I'm not gonna lie. I got lost a few times back then. And thankfully, I'm still alive to tell about it! haha. There was one particular incident when I was traveling to a friend's wedding rehearsal. I was in her bridal party and I had to travel out of state, probably about 90 minutes away. I took the route I thought I should have taken, only to realize about 45 minutes into my drive that I was nowhere even near the border of the state I was traveling to! As soon as I realized my error, I pulled the car over and took a minute to think about where I was and where I was headed. I didn't quite know what to do but I knew one thing: it would be foolish of me to continue going that way. If nothing else, I knew to at least turnaround -- even if I had no idea where I was going after that. 

When I think back, this trip has now become a picture in my mind of how a journey in life can be. We start out thinking we are going the right way, only to discover half way into it that we have it all wrong! Good grief! What is one to do? Many times, we don't know really what to do. All we do know is we are not where we should be and if nothing else, we know we should not continue pushing on in the wrong direction. We must turnaround. This can be the hardest thing in the world, though, if we have carved a solid path in the direction we were going. But alas, it is illogical to do anything else. 

You may have heard the story of the prodigal son. He was a fellow who ran into just this predicament. He started out his journey thinking he was on the right path, only to discover that it was so so so so wrong. When he stopped and realized it, he made the best (and even logical) decision he could have made. He turned around. He went back home. He wasn't sure if he'd be too welcomed but he did it anyway because to continue on the wrong path would be frankly, stupid. 

To his surprise, though, his father was waiting for him! The father ran to him as soon as he saw his son coming back. He threw his robe over him, gave him a ring and sandals and threw a huge party in celebration of his lost son returning home. Wow! I'm going to go ahead and assume that this prodigal son had zero regret in making the decision to turnaround. Though difficult, it was the best thing he could have ever done! The turnaround can be hard, but pushing forward in the wrong direction is even harder.

By the way, in case you're wondering, I did make it to the wedding rehearsal that night. I was fashionably late but everyone was so happy I made it. It was better I walked in late than not at all. I'm still so glad I turned around.

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So he returned home to his father. 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. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ 

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.15.11-32.NLT

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