I miss my granddaughter!
That may seem a little silly at first. After all, I only just met Bexlie 3 weeks ago and even then I only got to see her and hold her for a few short minutes before we had to go. How could someone so small have wormed her way into my heart so quickly that I feel a little emptiness without her around? I don’t know how, but I know it’s true. I miss my granddaughter!
Thankfully, we’ll get to see Bexlie in just a couple weeks, but that seems so far away. How much will she have grown in that time? How will she have changed? What will we have missed?
It’s hard being a grandparent from a distance. I want to be able to watch Bexlie grow, see her laugh, hold her while she sleeps. I want to be there for her milestones – her first laugh, her first word, her first step. Bexlie’s only been around for 17 days, but she’s already become such an important part of our lives. I miss her!
God feels the same way about you. He misses you! He misses talking with you, sharing your joys and sorrows, your laughter and your tears. He misses long walks and long talks. He longs to hold you close and soothe your fears, calm your worries, wipe away your tears.
I don’t know what has been keeping you away from Him – guilt, anger, fear, pain. Or maybe you, like the prodigal son, needed to taste what was out there, try on the world for size, only to find it doesn’t fit. Now, however, now when you long for home, you’re too ashamed to come crawling back or too afraid of the reception you’ll receive.
The thing is, you don’t need to feel any of that. God misses you! Like a shepherd He is searching for you. Like the prodigal’s father he is watching for you. If you will just take that first step towards Him, He will run to you, gather you in His arms and wrap Christ’s robe of righteousness around you. He will kiss your cheek, throw a party, and welcome you home with open arms.
You see, your Heavenly Father misses you, even more than I miss Bexlie. He loves you “with an everlasting love.” Moment-by-moment He is drawing back to Him “with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He emptied all of Heaven, in the person of His son, just so He could win you back. There’s nothing He won’t do to see you home, safe and sound where you belong.
Why wait a moment longer? “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). Today, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, because He promises “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37).
Haven’t you wandered long enough? It’s time to come home. Take that first step today. Just come home. Your Father misses you!