The Lord gave a parable of a man whose younger son took his inheritance and then wasted it foolishly. Hungry and penniless the prodigal decided that even being a servant in his father’s house was better than his current condition, and so began the long journey home.

As I read this parable, I wondered why the Lord was silent about the father’s agony during his son’s absence. Maybe it is because we already know the story.

What parent has not spent countless nights on their knees pleading for their children, or wondered with worry . . .