Get the appLaunching Your Kids Into AdulthoodSample
LEAVE A LIGHT ON FOR ME
Few things are as hurtful as an adult child who rejects his or her own family. But no matter how difficult it is to watch a prodigal child drift away, it’s important never to lose hope that one day they’ll return.
I heard of a couple whose daughter left home in a fit of rebellion on her 18th birthday and disappeared. They were devastated, not knowing if she was alive or dead. As the months turned into years, her mother decided to leave the porch light on all night, every night. It was an unspoken message that her daughter would always be welcomed back. It was also this anguished mom’s way of clinging to hope. Many nights, tears streamed down her face as she locked the front door and switched on the porch light.
What the mother didn’t know was that her daughter was often parked just down the road, staring at that solitary porch light. She wanted to come home, but she feared she’d caused her family too much pain. Finally, six full years after she’d left, she walked back into her parents’ lives.
The family’s reconciliation started in that moment. But in a deeper sense, the healing had begun years before. That mother’s simple expression of love became a beacon that cut through the darkness engulfing their daughter. And it’s a beacon for every parent of a wayward child never to lose hope. Keep your heart open and filled with grace, ready to forgive and celebrate a child “who was dead, and is alive again.”
For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.
Few things are as hurtful as an adult child who rejects his or her own family. But no matter how difficult it is to watch a prodigal child drift away, it’s important never to lose hope that one day they’ll return.
I heard of a couple whose daughter left home in a fit of rebellion on her 18th birthday and disappeared. They were devastated, not knowing if she was alive or dead. As the months turned into years, her mother decided to leave the porch light on all night, every night. It was an unspoken message that her daughter would always be welcomed back. It was also this anguished mom’s way of clinging to hope. Many nights, tears streamed down her face as she locked the front door and switched on the porch light.
What the mother didn’t know was that her daughter was often parked just down the road, staring at that solitary porch light. She wanted to come home, but she feared she’d caused her family too much pain. Finally, six full years after she’d left, she walked back into her parents’ lives.
The family’s reconciliation started in that moment. But in a deeper sense, the healing had begun years before. That mother’s simple expression of love became a beacon that cut through the darkness engulfing their daughter. And it’s a beacon for every parent of a wayward child never to lose hope. Keep your heart open and filled with grace, ready to forgive and celebrate a child “who was dead, and is alive again.”
For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.
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About this Plan
Do parents ever stop being parents? Well, yes and no. You’ll never stop loving your children. But once they’re adults, everything changes. Your influence in their lives, the complexion of your relationship, even the dynamics in your marriage will be impacted by the empty nest. But change doesn’t have to mean chaos. With a little preparation, parents can smooth out the bumps that crop up when kids transition into adulthood.
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We would like to thank Jim Daly for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.jimdalyblog.com
