For years, he had kept it all to himself. He let resentment build up one layer at a time. Yet, he chose to say nothing and keep on working. It was just him and his father now. Perhaps driven by obligation, this loyal son looked to do his part.
As he returned home from work one afternoon, he could feel a difference in the atmosphere. Usually a heaviness loomed over the estate. But not today. No, a sense of joviality seemed to run rampant. What was going on? His unpleasant mood seemed to sour even more.
He stopped a servant that was hurrying along, wondering what was happening in his home. The response floored him.
His brother was home.
His long-lost, younger brother was home. The defiant scoundrel who had so arrogantly and hurriedly left home years earlier. Abandoning dad. Abandoning him. This older son was confused: why were they celebrating this return?
He sought out his father for an explanation.
All the turmoil and mixed emotions that he had been keeping to himself were finally revealed. His heart and his pain were now exposed.
It’s unhealthy to keep clinging to bitterness. It starts off small, barely unnoticeable. Like a seed fueled by anger and resentment, it bursts and become rooted. Deeply rooted. Try as we might, the effects of harbouring bitterness always betray us. As a result, we miss out on life while life passes us by. Time does not keep still, does not wait for us to catch up.
Don’t let your hurt keep you from opportunities of God’s marvelous grace and His miraculous love.
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Today’s post was based on Luke 15:11-32. I’m linking up with Kate and the five-minute Friday community today.