In the story of the Prodigal Son, when the son is returning it says: "But while he was still far off, his father saw him..." (15:20) A note in the margin of my Bible asks "What do you think [the father] had been doing before his son appeared?" I had never thought about that, it seems really trivial, who cares? And then I thought, "he was watching for him!" I can see the father now, out in the field and out of a habit that had developed over years of pain, he looks out to the distance to see, just maybe, his son walking home... What a great image of God, the always caring guardian who, even when you run off, will wait for you and watch for you to return!
And then, I thought of something that made me smile. My great-grandfather lived in Peoria, IL and I have fond memories of going to visit him with my family while growing up. As the family story goes, when my Great Grandpa knew we were coming, he would wake up early and start a batch of goulash and then sit in a rocking chair on his porch and wait for us...for hours. We would joke that he would start waiting for us the next time the moment we left. What a great memory. There is nothing like feeling welcome and appreciated.
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