Big Daddy and His Kids....

Most of us are still kind of new to Facebook; But already I've had occasion to wonder who I have loaded as my friends. One friend in particular has sent out every link they could find to support their views on liberal politics, gay rights, health care for the world, Sarah Palin's lack of ability, George Bush's stupidity, waterboarding, the war in Iraq and getting God out of our Pledge of Allegiance.


Last weekend I began to formulate a counter story about this situation. Fortunately I caught myself. Here's the story that I decided to write instead. It's a story I heard a long time ago and it's really the only story I know that's worth telling.


I know this family. The Dad's a really hard worker, it's as if he never sleeps. He's a farmer and his property spreads in all directions as far as your eye can see. Each day he's out in the fields caring for his sheep. He's always mending fences for other folks. He doesn't say a whole hell of a lot, but he sure does a lot of listening when people want some good advice. A few call him by his given name, but most just know him as Big Daddy. He's truly bigger than life. By any standard you would call him a man's man. He's always the guy helping out a neighbor; he shows compassion to everyone even when they don't know he is silently watching their back.

Of all his kids, he's only got one worth his salt. That one seems to understand the family business. The others spend their days complaining about this and that or crying over why they are not getting the better breaks in life. Still he loves them all. In fact, it seems he loves the whiners even more than the one good son.


For the sake of the story, we'll consider just one of the bad eggs in the family. Let's call him Joe to simplify the writing... The others are just as bad, but trying to write about each ones problems would be impossible. Their personal stories are almost all the same.

Joe left his fathers care long ago. Big Daddy knows where he went but Joe never calls or writes. Joe is a drunk and a glutton. He in self centered and rude. Most weeks Joe gets his paycheck on Friday and spends it by Sunday living the "good life in the city". Joe has experimented with every drug you can imagine and he's been in trouble with the law more than a few times. He tried to settle down and have a family of his own but he messed that up too. He's angry, bitter and alone. He's a textbook liar and a thief.

A few months ago, Joe lost his job and had to take whatever work he could find to pay the rent. When all options dried up, he had only one choice left; It was time to go home and face Big Daddy. Joe was pretty sure he'd be getting an ear full from his Pop, but without any other choice he made a decision to crawl back to the farm and accept his fate. Years of dispair and failure raced though his mind. He was a broken man, but as a son, he was even worse.

After what seemed like days of walking, Joe made it back to the farm. Off in the distance he could see smoke rising from the chimney. Biscuits and bacon were probably on the stove and fresh coffee always in the pot. The house looked just as he remembered it even though it was still a long ways away. From the porch, Big Daddy could see his son approaching. He knew who the trespasser was. He recognized Joe immediately. Big Daddy loved Joe more than anything. The father rose from his rocker, climbed down from the porch and raced to his son. You would think that Big Daddy would reluctantly wait for his son to join him on the porch before measuring out some sage advice about the evil ways of life. But that's not Big Daddy. The father ran to his boy. When he reached Joe, the father was in tears falling into his childs arms. Joe knew he was unworthy of his fathers love and would be content to simply tend the fields with the other farm hands. But Big Daddy had other designs for Joe. Joe was home. His son who was lost, the child who left the father never to return was home at last.

You may not feel as though you are loved by those around you; but you are loved by the creator of all things. You may feel as though you have failed, but you have not in God's eyes. Big Daddy has been waiting for you to come home. Even if you no longer believe this simple story. Even if you don't believe He exists, you cannot change His love for you. He loves you even if you do not love Him. His love for you is beyond measure and Big Daddy will continue to wait on his front porch for your return because He loves you.