#RyansWorld - The Return Journey

'The Return Journey is always harder than the Journey you initially make'

' Heaven Rejoices as a Son returns home to his father'

Wow, what a powerful sentence. Returning Home to see all your friends, family and neighbours all welcoming you back home. Wouldn't you like that? All your brothers and sisters in Christ welcoming you back home with warm embraces.The thing that is more heartfelt is that they were anticipating your arrival. You didn't need to communicate your return but they knew you could come back one day. A Father waiting to greet his son and to welcome his back into his fold.
You can have that if you turn around and make 'The Return Journey'

Lets look at the Story of the Prodigal Son in reality terms. Imagine your Son or Daughter, leaving home or 'fleeing the nest' as they call it. You are going to be thinking about them, wishing they would just come back home, the place where everything they need is provided. Each Day they are out there by themselves, you worry about what they are getting themselves into but one day as you are out on your doorstep, you spot them with all their bags. Without a thought, you go and embrace them and throw a homecoming party for them. I'd imagine you would have a lot of questions for them such as "Where have you been" or "What did you get upto" or even "Why are you home, what's wrong"
Save the questions for another day, your child has returned home. Even though you are keen to find out, it's an historic day, a very important day because your child has come back home.

I believe that this is the same scenario that happened in the Story of the Prodigal Son. The Son had left his father's house, eager to experience life so he took all his belongings and decided to take a Journey. On that Journey he encountered some things which would knock him for six, it would really mess him up. Maybe that was the moment he decided to go back home. Lets take a look at verses 17 - 20 of Luke 15
¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

So from that, we see that he finally came to himself, he came to his senses. He realized that he had to go back home and more importantly repent unto his Father. So he rose up, gathered up his belongings and started 'The Return Journey'
I believe the journey was a hard one, maybe the Son was thinking what he could say to his father or how his father would react. Maybe he stopped for a rest because he needed to reserve his energy for when he meets his Father. Nevertheless, he carried on and entered the home stretch, the road he lived on, the area he grew up in. All the familiar surroundings that he became familiar with. As he approached, his father saw him in the distance and ran up to him and and kissed him. Wow, what a greeting. No questions asked, just a warm embrace. So, the son, who had time to think of what he would say, had told his Father he is no longer worthy to be called a Son.

Imagine the sheer pain the Father went through, waiting for his Son, the sleepless nights only to think that the Son thinks he is not worthy. The Father forgave him and threw a party for him.
Now, the Son had an older brother. The Brother was more of like the homeboy, he never left his father's sight. On hearing of his brother's return, he came angry but the Father met him outside and said to him

31 - Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
³² It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

I can just imagine the scenes up in Heaven at the time, everyone would have been rejoicing the Son has returned home to his Father. Lost but he was found, Alone but now he is loved. 

Now, all of us have at one time or another left home for one reason or another. You might be out in the wilderness right now or you might even be approaching the home straight. Make the Return Journey for our Father is waiting for you, he is anticipating your arrival, he wants to welcome you back into his fold. He will never give up until all his Sons have returned home. Heaven is not complete without you, you are an integral part of his flock. 

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
² And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
³ And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
⁴ What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
⁵ And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
⁶ And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
⁷ I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

So, Lets Remember this -
' Heaven Rejoices as a Son returns home to his father'
'The Return Journey is always harder than the Journey you initially make". It may seem that way at first but don't give up. What the Father has in store for you will be better than what you experience in the Wilderness

Making that Return Journey can become one full of guilt and shame due to what you have done but the Father loves each and everyone of us that he is ready to forgive you and wash away your sins and iniquities.

Returning Home to see all your friends, family and neighbors all welcoming you back home. Wouldn't you like that? All your brothers and sisters in Christ welcoming you back home with warm embraces.The thing that is more heartfelt is that they were anticipating your arrival. You didn't need to communicate your return via phone, social media etc but they knew you could come back one day. A Father waiting to greet his son and to welcome his back into his fold.
You can have that if you turn around and make 'The Return Journey'
The Journey back home to your father