I once heard about this guy who owned a ranch down south somewhere where they say, "Y'all!" It was a very extensive ranch, and he was very properous. He had a couple of kids who helped him out here and there. Life was good!
One of them kinda got sick of it after a bit and took off to Reno with everything he had. Whilst on his way, he met someone who knew people in high places there and also knew a few tricks of the trade. Not long after he'd arrived in Reno, he had a nice apartment, had been introduced to some very influential people, and had found that he was quite lucky when it came to gambling ... and of course with money comes the girls!
He did pretty well for about a year or so. Then, his lucky streak came to an end. It didn't take long for the girls to disappear one by one. Pretty soon, phone bills started coming in that he couldn't pay. After awhile, the phone got cut off, closely followed by the electricity. A little later, he was out on the streets. A thought came to mind, "Man, even Ralph, my dog at home, eats better than me!"
Meanwhile...back at the ranch, the father was waiting and waiting for him ever since Day 1. He would get up in the morning, go out on the porch, and look keenly down the road to see if he was coming. When his other kid walked by, he would ask, "Have you heard from your brother?" The front window with a view of the road became his favourite haunt!
Then, one day, he saw him! There he was coming down the road! Of course, Dad couldn't wait! He almost tripped over himself in an effort to get out the door, down the steps, out the gate, down the road, and into his son's arms. His son started to say, "Dad, I'm soo sorry!" but he was cut short. His father was yelling at the top of his lungs, "Hey look, my son's come home! Hey you - get the best Abercrombe gear together and give him a bath! You - get that fat calf we've been working on - let's have a barbeque!" Let me tell you - those ranchers know how to throw a party!
For reference, look at Luke 15:11-24 |
