I was just a college kid when I wrote those lines. I was struggling with the concepts of "freedom" and "independence" insofar as one with only two decades of life behind her could understand them. I suppose our culture is partially responsible for the fierce, independent American spirit. After all, this is the country that gave us Independence Day (the holiday and the movie) and countless other messages that prompt us to believe that we are truly in control of our own destinies. But I believe that this "rugged individualism" has deeper roots than the "pioneer spirit" or each person's desire to "find himself" and be his own leader.We are born with prodigal hearts. As infants, as soon as we become mobile, we're gone.
As adolescents, we are simply rebellious by nature. As adults, we want ours, we want it all, and we want it now. And as human spirits, I think all of us, if we are truthful, at one time or another rail against having to answer to anyone but ourselves. The Bible is full of people who insisted on doing things "their" way: Adam and Eve, Samson, Jonah, and David all come to mind. Each struck out on his or her own, foolishly thinking that there was no one higher to whom he or she ultimately owed an explanation. The truth of the matter, however, is that we all have a higher authority to Whom we are accountable. The Prodigal Son son surely learned this lesson the hard way.
Have you ever wondered, though, what it might have been like if the father in the parable had reacted differently to his son's return? Suppose he had said, "Stranger, be gone! You're no son of mine!" Where then could the son have gone? What could he have done? Fortunately for him, he never had to find out. He realized the error of his ways and went back home before it was too late. There he was welcomed into the arms of a loving father, not rejected someone who hated to see him coming.
Unfortunately, not everyone "comes to himself" in time to be received into the welcoming embrace
of our Heavenly Father. Some people actually prefer to live like pigs. Others even come home for a short time, only to run away again and again. I don't think they realize the danger in this behavior. They either think they can "never go home again," or they think they can always go home again. Neither is altogether true.
Yes, God's grace is amazing. Yes, His mercy endures forever. Yes, He is faithful to forgive us when we earnestly repent. But I don't think we have license to willfully test the limits of God's patience
(Proverbs 29: 1; Hebrews 3: 7-15). God said, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Genesis 6: 3), and I don't think He was making a passing reference to His decision to shorten man's life span. God warns us again and again not to grieve (Ephesians 4: 30) or to blaspheme (Matthew 12: 31) the Holy Spirit. If there were no danger in losing our status with God and the precious gift of the Spirit, why then would the psalmist have cried out as he did, "take not thy spirit from me"? (Psalm 51: 11)
I have only just come to understand what I meant in the last two lines of my own poem. If we can ever get past our dependence on ourselves, then we will realize the depth of our need for God's guidance in our lives. Rather than seeing this guidance as a restriction, then, we will recognize it for the wonderful gift that it is. The and only then will we be freed from the prison of the Prodigal Heart.
