By Doug Strickel
I was recently reading the parable of the Prodigal Son. Keep in mind that a parable is a story made up by Jesus to teach an eternal lesson. In this parable, a man has two sons. One of the sons comes to his father and demands his share of the inheritance so he can leave the family business and go on his own. Keep in mind, the son is essentially telling the father that he was ready for him to die so he could get his money and live his own life.
Well, the father isn’t dying any time soon but goes ahead and gives the son his inheritance. The son takes the money, squanders it on reckless living, and ends up completely broke. While all of this is going on, I imagine the father at home wondering how his son is doing. I picture him sitting down at every meal looking at the empty chair at the table.
That empty chair is tough! Many of us have empty chairs in our life. Maybe that empty chair at the dinner table is from the passing of a loved one. The empty seat at the ballgame is the result of divorce. Maybe that empty chair in the church service is the result of someone just losing their way in life. It could be that the empty seat next to you is the result of an untimely move to a new city, an unplanned job change, or an unresolved conflict.
Empty chairs are part of life and eventually impact all of us. Life is full of loss. Some of those losses are expected while others are untimely. Relationships can be tough to navigate at times. Life changes are not always on our timetable. Any of these issues can leave us with empty chairs in our life.
The empty chair can bring wonderful memories or sad regrets. Empty chairs can test our resolve to hold out hope and provide opportunities to tell our story. Empty chairs have a clear impact on our life but can also have an impact on the lives of those around us. There is often so much more than just the unused seat as there is often a story within that empty chair.
I don’t know how you handle the empty chairs in your life, but I have always leaned into the Apostle Paul’s words where he says, “And my God will meet every need of yours according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus”. I have experienced my God meeting “every” need in the moment. I can attest to the fact that He is more than capable (reference the riches comment) to continue meeting those needs in the moment.
Every example noted above of empty chairs; I have experienced. In fact, I continue to experience it at times. I was recently asked if I was saving seats at a crowded service. My reply was, “Just one and just in case”. You see, empty chairs still have hope. The hope that someone returns to the chair or the hope that God fills the void left in that chair always remains.
The father in the Prodigal Son parable never lost hope. When the son realized his mistake and humbly went home, the father raced to meet him and welcomed him back. The point of the parable was to teach us that God never gives up on us and is always waiting to welcome us home.
If we could take that same approach, embrace the empty chair, and never lose hope.
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