Paths Diverging…

Anyone who has attended a church service has heard the story of the prodigal son. The story of a returning son and how his Father celebrates while his Brother grows angry. If you haven’t read the story, you can find it in Luke 15:11–32. The story focuses on the son's return and the acceptance and celebration of his father, but it is the other end of the story that has been on my mind.  Let me explain.

​For there to be a reunion, this son had to first leave. It is that point which stays on my mind. Since I have moved to start a new life away from my mother and father, there have been many moments of leaving. I have spoken before about the large family and friends I had that influenced me growing up, and each time we had a visit or time together, there would be this moment when our paths diverged. A literal movement in different directions. I feel the same when I leave my wife now, even when I travel for work.

There is just that moment that is so sad and upsetting. That moment, as the car moves and you look at that loved one standing there waving. Their faces hold back emotion so as not to make you feel any worse. You can literally read the emotion and passion on their face. The burning in your eyes as you hold back tears. It is in that moment that you both know that your lives are moving in different directions, literally. It is a gut-wrenching moment that I have never gotten used to and now try to avoid at all costs.

But, recently, when it was time for my parents to move back to their summer home, the moment was unavoidable, and I found myself thinking about the father in Luke 15. We know about that celebration when the son returns, but during the time he was gone, the father must have felt that emptiness and despair, knowing his son was out there and their lives were moving on different paths.

This is how I felt in my life as it started to stumble onto a different path from the Lord. Although it was not I who was the son. I felt like the father from the parable,  wondering why my Lord had left me. I felt like our paths were moving apart. I felt that despair, the burning in my eyes, and the overwhelming heartache that our paths were moving in different directions. It all started with a small bump and a painful step in April of 2023. That’s when my wife and I decided it was a good idea for her to have foot surgery to repair her Achilles tendon. From there, that moment, I started to feel like the path my Lord and I were on was diverging.

Talk again soon….