Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Psalm 112:4
I have one very strong-willed granddaughter. When she decides something is a certain way, then by golly, that’s the way it should go. She recently attempted putting on a belt with a buckle for the first time. Both her mom and I tried to show her how to do it but she was not having it. She was going to do it her way.
When she finally succeeded in getting the belt through all the loops on her jeans, she was pretty darn proud of herself. But when it came time to actually buckle, frustration set in. Because the belt was upside down, there was no way she could get it buckled. She tried for several minutes, even going so far as to re-string the belt, again upside down, through her jeans.
I watched the confusion and frustration build. I had to admire her tenacity, though. There were MANY attempts before she finally figured out that the belt was upside down. She knew something wasn’t right; she just couldn’t figure out what. Things just don’t work when they’re upside down.
Mr. Steinkamp wrote one time that being a prodigal is like trying to live right side up in an upside-down world. Think about this. Your dad or mom may be away from your family, maybe living in circumstances that are so different from what they had at home. They are being pulled in two opposite directions.
They know that where they are now is not where they should be. Yet they can’t or won’t doing anything about it. Why? Because the enemy has taken them captive. He has closed their eyes to God’s will and their ears to His truth. It’s like you playing a soccer game with your hands over your ears so you can’t hear the coach’s instructions. Or like trying to walk down the hall at school with your eyes closed. It wouldn’t be long before you would be upside down and sideways.
It’s like that right now for your mom or your dad. They are walking through life with their hands firmly clapped over their ears and their eyes tightly shut. No wonder they are upside down!
Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
How can they get right side up again? Your prayers can help. The more you pray for your mom or dad, the more the Lord opens their eyes and ears to the truth. If you can just persevere in prayer, showing unconditional love, forgiving as Jesus forgives, there will come a day when they will once again be walking right side up.
But more important than the “how” of getting right side up again for them, is the “who.” God is the only One who can set them straight. He loves your mom and dad, He loves you, and He loves families. He will do what He needs to do, in His time, to get them back on the right road, guiding their footsteps around the potholes and obstacles, holding them up when they get weary. Your prayers and God’s love can soon have them walking right side up in the world again.
May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you. Psalm 25:21
God bless
A Stander in Nebraska
