Millions of children & teenagers return to school today, to face yet another year of academic waffle & teaching. Some have been excited all summer, others have dreaded this moment.
Many teenagers tell me of teachers that could quite easily play the role of the clown in Batman, without any form of make up or acting skills.
Some are sinking into uniforms 3 sizes too big for them and others are bursting at the seams of the uniform they had since they started. Many have updated their uniforms in terms of fashion, by adding Thumb holes, snot marks & food stains from over the years. But of course, this is all part of reflecting student values.
That feeling of ‘Going back’ always has it’s difficulties. Attitudes of ‘Can’t be bothered’ kick in or the thought of it makes us feel uneasy and awkward. There is only one feeling of ‘Going back’ that is often a nice feeling and that is ‘Going home’.
I wonder how many of you have attended church at some point in your life? Perhaps as a child, perhaps only at Christmas or Easter. Did you ever have a connection with God that has faded out and life seems to have moved on? Even if you have never connected with God or church – we all started with God because he created and formed us in our mothers womb.
I wonder what feelings kick in if I were to suggest going back? There’s a story in the bible of a Son who, with permission, takes his dads inheritance money early. He immediately runs off to another country, without telling anyone and splashes out living the high life and doing just about everything that rebels against his family values.
Eventually the cash runs out and he’s left with nothing, leaving him no choice to return back home. But now he faces that feeling of guilt and awkwardness. He was petrified about telling his dad about the situation. I can imagine he even felt a sense of ‘Can’t be bothered’ but he had no choice.
But the story has a twist. You might expect the dad to be angry, waiting for his son to arrive so he can punish him for running away and doing stupid things.
But this story is different. The son arrives home to see his father looking for him with tears in his eyes. When eye contact is made, the father runs to his son, flings his arms around him and organises the biggest party in town. His son has returned.
The son had come home. Back to the place where he was accepted for who he was. Back to the place of happiness and unconditional love.
I wonder, maybe you can relate to the son. You know and understand the fear that strikes inside before ‘Going back’.
But maybe, if you took the risk, you might say to your heavenly father God – ‘I’m coming home – I’m coming back to the place where I started. I’m coming to meet my heavenly father again, who is actively searching for me and calling my name’
‘I’m coming home.
I’m coming home.
I’m coming home.’
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Life on Overflow 