Donna Kendall Ofs

The Prodigal's Mother Donna Kendall Ofs

Parents bring their children into the world with many hopes and dreams. Throughout childhood, parents nurture and help their children to develop into adults that will make them proud, and give them hope for the future. As many parents know, these goals do not always work out the way one expects. Every now and then there is a prodigal child. Jesus knew this, of course. How many biblical references are there to children who do not follow their parents' guidance? In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus relates our human tendency to go off in our own direction away from God, our Father, and as far from His will as we can get, to the experiences of parents whose child has abandoned the family and squandered his inheritance. As this parable demonstrates, God always waits for our return. Yet, many times parents dealing with wayward children find themselves at a loss to wait for their children to come home and heal the family. This book is a reflection of this parable and how it relates to the human family, as well as to God. The reflections are written from the perspective of a hidden character in the story: the prodigal's mother. The mother's viewpoint and heartfelt prayers are meant to encourage and inspire parents dealing with a child who has become estranged or has simply gone their own way against his/her parents' wishes. The reflections in this book are meant to bring hope and healing through God's mercy and love.