Week 9: Watches and Waits

This last week we talked about three different parables found in Luke 15. The first is the parable of the lost sheep. Out of 100 sheep, one begins to wander and gets separated from the group. The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 and goes after the one. The next parable is the lost coin, and the woman searches everywhere until she finds the piece of silver. And finally, the Prodigal Son. The son chooses to leave his inheritance in order to seek things of the world. And the father waits and watches until the son ‘comes to himself’ and turns back to his father, where he is welcomed home with open arms.

There are times when we all feel like we are wandering, getting lost in the crowd. But the Good Shepherd is always there to bring us back to the fold. There are times we may forget to do some things and lose ourselves for just a moment. But Heavenly Father is always there to give us loving correction. Then there are even times when we, or our loved ones, choose to leave all we have in search for what seems like would bring us more happiness. At these times, Heavenly Father is watching and waiting for us to turn back to Him. The moment we turn back to Him and ask for His help, He will welcome us home with a warm, loving embrace. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest way Heavenly Father has shown us His love. The Atonement is what makes forgiveness possible.