Princesses, Prodigals, and Parties,
Catherine and I have just returned from throwing the biggest party of our lives! What a rare and magnificent experience it was for me to walk our daughter down the aisle at her wedding, then to turn around and stand with Catherine as co-officiants for Shelby and her groom, Mike Meehan.
The evening was filled with wonderful moments and abundant joy as friends and family from so many seasons of Shelby's life and ours were present to share in the celebration. There was an extravagance to the whole affair that seemed to fit the occasion, complete with a beautiful setting, fine food and champagne, melt-in-your-mouth cake plus a resplendent cookie table, and lots of music and dancing.
One of my favorite moments of the evening was the father-daughter dance. From a very early age, one of Shelby's favorite things to do with me was to sing. So on this night, we danced and sang to each other, oblivious to anything else for a few sweet moments. The song of choice was Rascal Flatts' "My Wish." So many of the lyrics fit my hopes and dreams for my daughter and the life that is ahead of her. One line in particular stands out for both of us whenever we hear it: "I hope you find God's grace in every mistake."
That line makes me think about another party...one that we read about in this Sunday's Scripture passage. A son wanders off, loses his way, squanders his inheritance, yet when he comes stumbling back home hungry and embarrassed, he is welcomed with an extravagant party. What kind of prodigal father would behave this way? I'm so glad you asked! It's the kind I'll be talking about this Sunday for Father's Day.
I'll see you there, in the place where grace welcomes us all.
Steve
