Marcellino On June 15 we celebrated Father's Day with our families, showing honor to our fathers and what they have done for us.

As a father I realize how much parents willingly sacrifice and want the best for their children. One of my favorite stories is about a father and his son in the book of Luke. It is known as the parable of the Prodigal Son or as a different view, "The Patient Father."

Many of you are very familiar with the story line of this parable. The arrogant son comes to his father and demands his share of his father's estate. The father willingly gives the son his portion of his estate realizing that he could not convince his son to rethink his plans. The son proceeds on his great adventure, squandering his inheritance on wild living. Broke and starving he hires out to feed swine. Envying the pigs' meal he realizes how foolish a young man he is. He decides to return home begging for forgiveness and asks his father if he could become one of his father's servants. Expecting to be chastised and ridiculed, the boy is surprised that his father runs out to embrace him and rejoices having a grand celebration that his once lost son is now home.

We may have a prodigal child or we might have been a prodigal that our parents thought would never get on the path of righteous living. Jesus gave a valuable lesson on dealing with prodigal children; however, his main point was that God is that patient father waiting on the porch praying his wayward child will come home to receive his forgiving grace.

We are like the prodigal son. We squander many opportunities to serve our heavenly Father. We hurt and forsake Him through our thoughts and actions yet He still waits on the porch praying that we will return to him with repentant hearts. If you are that prodigal child I urge you to come to the Father and receive his loving grace and allow Him to be the father you need.

Paul Marcellino is pastor at the Camden First Baptist Church.