| Sunny Side Up June 19, 2005 �2004, Kathleen Gibson A very fine child indeed The Preacher and I attended a conference for clergy couples. Our speaker was another clergyman, a top denominational leader. A father. He began one of his messages this way: "I have three very fine young adult children." But then something surprising happened. Through the microphone we heard words that resonated with the unmistakable echo of a broken heart. "My thirty year old son," he said, "is an addict." Ted* is currently facing the fight of his life - struggling to break free from a decade of addiction to cocaine and other substances, and the desperate lifestyle that accompanies those choices. Six foot four inches tall, a former college football player, Ted's frame barely makes a shadow. He's an old man at thirty. "I can't tell you," this dad said, "what it does to a parent's heart to watch the evening news night after night, year after year, wondering if your son will be on it." In the last decade most of his time with that son has been spent visiting him in prison. Recently the phone rang. "Your son has been badly beaten. He's in hospital," the caller said. His parents were thrilled - not that he'd been beaten, but to know that Ted was still breathing. You see, for two years they hadn't had a clue where their boy was or if he was even alive. They rushed to him. Ted recovered from his injuries, but his old nemesis pulled him back to the streets. However, only a few weeks before his father told us this story, his parents received another call, this time from Ted himself. "I wanna come home," he'd said. He'd finally found bottom. His dad helped him pack his meager belongings - little is left a man who would sell his soul for a fix - and brought him home. For the next forty-eight hours, they kept watch beside their son as his body and mind made the frightening, freakish journey through withdrawal from hard drugs. Ted's story is far from over. In all ways it will be a long way up for him as he works through the complications of his past choices. But his parents have more hope than they've had for years. For Ted's parents, and all Christian parents of prodigals, two truths are vital to remember. The first is that even God, who perfected the art of parenting, has children who break his laws and his heart. Ever since Adam, children have chosen their own way, no matter how they were raised or who their parents are. The second thing to remember is found in the nature of God himself. Ted's dad's introduction rings in my ears: "I have three very fine young adult children." It resonated with the kind of love that looks past sins and mistakes and sees only what destiny intended - a very fine child indeed. That's God. Hand extended, love unlimited. At the end of ourselves, we find the beginning of Him. Always and forever. Our loving Father, welcoming us home. *pseudonym Respond Home |
 |