Prodigal Revisted

When you had lost your way,
What if God did say,
"I will expect an amazing apology
with just the right dose of humilty
for me to take you back
and put you on the right track?"

And when you were given up for dead,
what if He refused to break bread
because, "You simply cannot eat for free
in My house with your Brother and Me?"

What if, when He saw you on the drive,
he was irritated, and what was alive
in His heart was not love alone but disgust,
that you had not written to Him before, just
to make sure that gate
would not be closed with hate,
that you had not even bothered to say,
"I'm really, really sorry-- by the way
I was thinking of coming home---but don't worry,
I knew I couldn't come back without first being sorry?"

Or if He thought it would be nice
for you to crawl on your knees and reslice
open your brokeness, make you eat dirt,
again, so you could fully understand the hurt
you caused Him when you went
your way? After all, He spent
so much on you, surely you could show
some respect, surely you could let Him know
you were sorry for being wrong, and tell
Him nothing of the wrong to which you fell
and felt like Hell.

But you know that's not what He did, don't you?

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah to God, Who loves the wayward child!

Does He not rush down to meet you, every time, dust
and grime covered, filthy, with only just
enough pride left to fall as you crumble
at his feet, so very humble
that His love has yet to fail
to keep you, even when on stale
slop and muddy company you choose to spend
your time? Does His grace not extend
far beyond only you? Does He not remain
unchanged, ever ready to have slain
the Lamb for every selfish, wandering son?
Look! Even now He rejoices to forgive another one,
for it is you to whom He again prepares to run.