Luke 15:20 – “So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (NIV)
Virginia loves birds. She feeds the birds daily. She has binoculars and a bird book handy to identify any new bird that might show up that has never been there before. She is fascinated by birds. I told her since we are doing Unchained and FPU that maybe we should get unchained from all the money we spend on bird seed. I got that look that told me, “Don’t mess with me and my birds.” Obviously, we will have to find another place to get unchained. Birds are fascinating. Some species have an amazing homing instinct. Did you know that the Arctic Tern travels from one of Earth’s poles to the other, 12,416 miles. The Bar-tailed Godwit travels from Alaska to Australia nonstop, 7,000 miles over an open ocean. The Albatross is hatched on a tiny cliff side cul-de-sac and after seven to ten years comes back to the same cliff side cul-de-sac to raise its first family. Not only birds but human beings long for home, too. Augustine says, “Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you, O God.” I translate that to mean, “Our home is with you God and our heart is homeless and homesick until it finds home in You.” We learned from the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 that if we mess up in life, separate ourselves from the Father, and go away from home, if we ever decide to come home our heavenly Father will always welcome us back. Do you need to come home? The door is wide open!
Virginia loves birds. She feeds the birds daily. She has binoculars and a bird book handy to identify any new bird that might show up that has never been there before. She is fascinated by birds. I told her since we are doing Unchained and FPU that maybe we should get unchained from all the money we spend on bird seed. I got that look that told me, “Don’t mess with me and my birds.” Obviously, we will have to find another place to get unchained. Birds are fascinating. Some species have an amazing homing instinct. Did you know that the Arctic Tern travels from one of Earth’s poles to the other, 12,416 miles. The Bar-tailed Godwit travels from Alaska to Australia nonstop, 7,000 miles over an open ocean. The Albatross is hatched on a tiny cliff side cul-de-sac and after seven to ten years comes back to the same cliff side cul-de-sac to raise its first family. Not only birds but human beings long for home, too. Augustine says, “Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you, O God.” I translate that to mean, “Our home is with you God and our heart is homeless and homesick until it finds home in You.” We learned from the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 that if we mess up in life, separate ourselves from the Father, and go away from home, if we ever decide to come home our heavenly Father will always welcome us back. Do you need to come home? The door is wide open!
– Dr. Tim Thompson