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0 downloadsOrphaned and then adopted by a relative, Constant took advantage of his adoptive parents. He dropped out of school and began complaining about everything. This Christian family had raised Constant to be a Christ-follower, but at a certain point his only reason for going to church was to distract and cause trouble. His uncle hired him to work in his tailor shop, but Constant began to steal money and even clothing that customers dropped off to have sewn. A moment came when he thought he could do better on his own. He went to work for another tailor who took advantage of him and he was often left with no money. Too embarrassed to return home, he began working for a trucking company, lifting heavy boxes, traveling long hours, and still without much money. His girlfriend moved in with him and shortly after had a child. His financial troubles continued and still he would not return home. And then, at work, he became sick. The company told him not to come back until he was better. Shortly after, he went into a coma, and that was when his adoptive uncle was called. The uncle left quickly and arrived at the hospital, only to find Constant unresponsive. He called many of us asking to pray for a miracle. The uncle never left the bedside. When Constant opened his eyes for the first time, he saw his uncle. “Why are you here?” And Constant began to cry. The uncle brought him home, along with his young family, and nursed him back to health. When he was finally able to work again in his uncle’s shop, he told me, “Now I know that the Bible is true. No one except a Christian would have allowed me to come home after all the bad things that I had done.” Constant was recently baptized along with his wife. They are in the process of legalizing their marriage. He and his wife are part of the worship group at church. It often takes a hard place for people to realize their need for Jesus and their need for forgiveness. It can also be a hard thing to show forgiveness and love to those who have deeply hurt us. John speaking of Jesus’ ministry quotes the prophet Isaiah: “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.” Christians carry this work on by making the hard places bearable, the crooked paths straight, and by continually showing the forgiveness and love of Christ. We praise the Lord for the hard places that often bring the prodigal home.
