Resources vs. Relationship

“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him!’” Luke 15:17-24 (The Message)

It never ceases to amaze me. A child utters his first intelligible sounds and every father in the world bursts with pride. "Did you hear that? He just said my name! He said, ‘Da,da!' That's me!" Do not try to explain to the man that the child could be raised by wolves and that still would be the first word out of his mouth. That revelation will only bring you ugly looks. There is too much joy.

This moment is filled with such pride because a father recognizes it as the beginning of a relationship with his child. In this first instance of communication, he catches a glimpse of what he and the child will someday share. A stream of words will follow that will flow with love, happiness and laughter, as well as bitterness, anger and tears . . . all the building blocks for a solid relationship.

Jesus told His stories to us in a way that would help us understand our relationship to the heavenly Father. Probably the best and most loved is the story of the lost son. I think we can all relate because we have all had our prodigal moments. We've all turned our backs and walked away from the Father. Never mind that all the resources we took with us originated with Him. Although He gave us all we had - our talents, gifts, abilities - we knew we could do more with them on our own.

But He, of course, knew the truth. He had the wisdom to know that it is not in the resources that our strength and power are found, but in the Source. When we walk away from the Father, it is just a matter of time before our possessions are squandered away. Without the Source, we simply burn out the fuel with nothing to fill us back up. At last we come to our individual pig farms of poverty and need. And sooner or later, hopefully we come back to that thought - "You know, my Father's employees are so much better off than I am. I'll go back and work for him. At least I'll get a decent meal every day."

And so we return to Him. "Uh, Sir, (we can no longer presume to call him Dad), uh, I know You're probably really mad at me and all and I'm sure You've disowned me and written me out of the will, but, um, if I could just have a job. . . I'll work really hard and earn whatever You can spare." There we are again - back to worrying about the resources. But notice He is not the least bit interested in resources. What He longs for is relationship. "Why are you talking about jobs and work and earning? You're my child. I just want to be your dad."

Does that mean we sit around the house all day eating grapes and watching TV? No, even a true son works. But his motivation and interest are different than the hired help. He has ownership and authority that come from being an heir. He feels differently about the work that must be done, because the day will come when he will inherit it all.

And so he spends his time learning from his father. He watches how he does things and follows his example. He spends a lot of time with him, has countless conversations about the estate and how it is run. But best of all, he loves and is loved by his dad.

My dad loves apples. When fall would make its appearance each year, he was ready to drive to an orchard somewhere and buy some - just-picked and locally-grown. It was usually a little bit of a drive to a good orchard, and he would look for company. He and I would take off for an apple adventure. I don't remember any earth-shattering, life-changing conversations. Many times we just sat in silence, enjoying each other's presence. When our errand was complete, we would return home, both munching a red or yellow delicious. Those apples were sweet, especially the first one of the year. But my dad's presence made it even sweeter. Somehow I think my presence made his sweeter too. Good dads are like that. And whether your earthly father was good or not, you can be very sure that your heavenly Father longs for your company!