So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. Luke 15:20

 

Not all of us have exemplary examples of a loving Father. When the Bible talks about God as a Father, it can mean very little to those who’ve never had a loving, present father. Human fathers like a man named Jim Redmond help us understand the truth of God’s great love.

 

During the 1992 Summer Olympics, Jim Redmond gave the world an incredible example of a father’s love. His son, Derek, had trained his whole life to compete in the 400-meter race. Halfway through the race, Derek suddenly felt a searing pain in his right leg and collapsed. Despite excruciating pain, he refused to give up and began hobbling toward the finish line in agony. Then, something incredible happened. A man suddenly broke through the security barriers and rushed onto the track. It was Jim, Derek’s father. With tears streaming down his face, Jim wrapped his arm around his son, supporting him around the track to the finish line. As they crossed, the entire stadium rose to their feet.[1]

 

God responds to our struggles like this father! He invites us to lean on Him for strength and comfort! Jesus told a story of a son who’d lost his way in life and abandoned his father. But when the son returned, his father saw him coming from a long way off, and “Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

 

Even when we find ourselves desperate after abandoning God to live as we please, God, our Father, isn’t ashamed of us. He runs to you with loving arms wide open!

 

[1] Risen, Clay. “Jim Redmond, Whose Aid to Son Was an Olympic Moment, Dies at 81.” The New York Times, 17 Oct. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/17/sports/olympics/jim-redmond-dead.html.