When You Love a Prodigal

The young man took off to a far country, found many friends attracted to his wealth. They lived wild lives—until the money ran out. Suddenly our boy was abandoned, broke, hungry. He got a job feeding pigs—what could be worse? What could he do? So headed home, hoping his father would take him back as a hired servant. Would the father accept his request, or reject him completely? Or would the father...

We were out of town. We had an older woman staying in our home that winter. Our prodigal and his friends showed up drunk. They made themselves at home, eating and doing drugs. Our guest made an effort to engage them to break it up, but they were rude and even threatening. She was frightened and locked herself in her room. What did we do? We chose grace. God was clear: Extend grace. Forgive. Seek r...

One of the most important ways we extend grace to our prodigals is through our words. In Colossians 4:6 Paul reminds us: Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Words are powerful. They have the potential to inflame discord and inflict great emotional harm, or the capacity to encourage repentance and restoration, and offer hea...

God has much experience loving prodigals—such as you and me and all of humanity. So He is the perfect companion for us on this wilderness journey. He goes with us, He comforts us, He gives hope, He relieves our fears. And He gives grace for all our inadequacies and mistakes, and for the pain experienced by and caused by those we love so much. To request prayer for someone on Worldwide Prodigal Pra...

Josh McDowell, apologist, evangelist, author of more than 150 books and my good friend joins me on this episode to talk about the 7 A’s on Building Relationships that Transform. He explains and illustrates from his own life essential actions to build and maintain relationships with your children or with any person you work with, influence, care about. These 7 A’s are powerful connectors with the p...

What did your prodigal do this week to stir up your fear or ignite your anger and make your love shrink back? How do you love them when they don’t deserve it, when they show no love to you? In this Part 2 of How to Love a Prodigal we will consider five ways to put our love into action, to love like Jesus loves us—and them. To request prayer for someone on Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day on June 2, o...

We are called to love like Jesus—unconditionally. Is it even possible to love a prodigal unconditionally? What is unconditional love? They challenge, betray, defy and deny our love. How do we keep loving them? Today’s episode is Part 1 of some practical ways we can live out loving them as Jesus has loved us. Resources: Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here. Join the Prayer for Prodigals commu...

Fear is a close companion when you love a prodigal. Addiction. Pregnancy. Overdose. Wrong friends. Cutting. Suicide. Wasting away because she won’t eat. The call from the jail and the hospital. An accident—injuring self or others. Doing something crazy while high. A visit from the police. What do you do as fear lingers and lurks? Resources: Sign up for Judy’s monthly newsletter here. Join the Pray...

Often it’s not easy to love a prodigal. Our love is tested and stretched. Unappreciated and questioned. Not returned—even thrown back in our faces. We grow weary and discouraged. What does love look like when our prodigals keep making bad choices? How do we love and keep on loving our often hard-to-love prodigals as the years unfold? Resources:  A Redemptive Community blog post I AM the Vine blog...

Our son – the proverbial tough guy – came home with fear in his eyes. His friends, his gang, had gotten in a dispute with another gang. Somehow he became the focus of the anger of the other gang. Threats ensued. His bravado was gone. The fear was real. He wanted to get to a safe place. Where do you find help? Resources: Tenacious Love video What Do We Do Now? blog post I AM the Vine blog post Sign...

Dan Wolgemuth is not a prodigal, has no prodigals, but, as President of Youth for Christ, his life revolves around at-risk kids. So much so that he chose to spend some time in Juvenile Detention.  Stay connected: Website:  judydouglass.com Facebook:  facebook.com/JudyDouglass417/ Instagram:  instagram.com/judydouglass417/ Twitter:  twitter.com/judydouglass417 Youtube:  youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

People ask me what “prodigal” means—there are several definitions out there. We will define what we are meaning on this podcast and the how, when and why a person might become a prodigal. Some are rebellious or "bad," but many begin to make destructive choices because of the challenges in their lives, because of many levels of trauma. Resources:  Turning Curses into Blessings blog post Restoring P...

We all said I do and became one family. We thought peace and calm had arrived, but instead we entered a wilderness journey. Trouble at school, a gang, addictions, Juvenile Detention Center, and a House called Hope. I do was just the beginning. Resources: An Adoption Story: Part 3 The Hard Years An Adoption Story: Part 4 A Future and Hope Sign up for my monthly newsletter here. Stay connected: Webs...

If this was a gift, it was a grievous gift. How does the arrival of a wounded boy become the hardest time of your life and a beautiful gift? Judy Douglass was not prepared for all the trauma this boy had experienced and the challenges he would face, and she would face. After three years of foster care, the Douglass family was asked to adopt him. They did, life became more difficult, and that gift...

Who signs up for a 15-year prodigal wilderness? No one does, on purpose. But that’s what Judy Douglass got when she said “yes” to God. Today we get to know Judy Douglass. She made a decision to choose God's way when she was 15, which launched her into repeated choices to surrender "her way" and walk in God's way. God's way has inevitably revealed as the best, until she said "yes" to a nine-year-ol...

Loving a prodigal is a long, desperate journey. Fear. Worry. Anger. Blame. But God intends to use your valley to fill you with grace and hope.