What if it were Hanna?

Today's Tiny Bible Bit...

Luke 15:24 – ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 

Today in scripture I was halted in my tracks.
While I was in the middle of a scripture lesson about the parables which Jesus told and how they all involved some kind of twist, I was stopped...
As I was speaking about the undeserved reception the prodigal son received, I heard a faint question…
While I was saying that the delinquent son deserved nothing good from his father, a voice popped up…

“What would you have done if it were Hanna?”
In the two months my daughter has been alive, that thought had never occurred to me before that very moment.

I think your life stage shapes how you engage with the bible.
When you’re a teenager you pay closer attention to the parts which deal with growing up and what your identity is.
When you get married you have a somewhat deeper appreciation for the way Christ loves and the church.
When you become a parent you are struck by the parable of the prodigal son.

You are struck by the child who defiantly turns away.
You are struck by the patience of the father.
You are struck by the restoration of the younger son.
You are struck by the celebration.

I don’t know what I would do if this happened with my daughter. Would I wait day after day for her to return? Would I forgive?

I am increasingly thankful that God waits for the lost child to return home.
He does forgive.
He does restore.
He does celebrate.

Even if I may not.