Luke 15: 11-32
I was blessed to be raised with my Cajun grandparents in Southwest Louisiana most of my childhood. What great memories I have of that small home and large yard (my grandparents lived in the city of Lake Charles and had a *truck farm). In those days everything had a purpose, chores had a purpose either farming, maintenance, housekeeping, baking cooking, canning, etc. Everything was such an efficient flow of time and applying it to its best use. What I really loved best was the part of the day that when the harvest of the ripe fruit or vegetables was done sitting underneath those big oaks and huge pine trees, with wash pans full of figs, corn, peas, etc. and preparing them for canning or baking. My grandparents and I (and whoever came by for a visit) worked as they told stories, laughed, drank coffee and had the best time sitting under those trees sharing the joy of God’s blessings. They talked about everything from family, faith, politics and the general news of the day.
One thing my grandparents never shared was the concerns for those members of the family that had gone astray or they might have had differences about a personal matter. They quietly kept all these things to themselves but hiding them in their hearts and faithfully praying.
I am sure that my Daddy was one of their concerns. He and my Momma were living a life outside of the church. My Grandparents never said a discouraging word or expressed an ugly thought about either one to me or anyone else. They were content to give them to the Lord as they “sat on the porch”.
What a picture that is so similar to the one Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32 about the Prodigal Son. The father sat patiently on the porch waiting to see his son return every day. Jesus doesn’t tell us how long he sat, but we know that as he watched he prayed expectantly to see his son return and eventually God answered that prayer. He didn’t run to find him, take him out of his situation. He patiently waited sitting on the porch.
You may have a child, family member, spouse, or situation that God has not miraculously changed for whatever reason. It is discouraging when we think God has forgotten us on the porch. The truth is that the porch is not always God moving in a situation. It is for us and lives to change us before He brings the prodigal home.
So go shell some peas, peel some figs and laugh, sing and praise because you have Jesus’ company on the porch.
Jackie Gillespie
*A Truck Farm is a large city garden where people grew vegetables and sold them at a very low price to neighbors and local grocers.
