The Prodigal Path

Note:  Just a book idea... a faint push/prompt that came out of a dream.  Not even CLOSE to a complete thought yet, but... thought I'd brainstorm a little.  
I suppose I'm happy too that my dream prompted this, as it is spiritually constructive and not something of darker note.  I don't usually have good dreams about my past, so... happy this particular sadness prompted something good.

Then this morning after I posted this, God led me to revisit this song:  

Perfect for this topic.

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~FORWARD

'Because at some point in our lives, we are all prodigals...'

I. Defining The Prodigal

1.) (www.dictionary.com) - Prodigal: a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance; spendthrift. 

  

2.) (Oxford English Dictionary) - Prodigal: To give or spend wastefully or extravagantly; to squander; to lavish. 

 3.) (http://www.merriam-webster.com/) - Prodigal:  

     1.) characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure :  lavish

    2.) yielding abundantly :  luxuriant —often used with of prodigal

of her bounty — H. T. Buckle 

4.) (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/) - Prodigal: tending to spend or use something without thinking of the future 

5.) (Jesus:) 'My beloved child that has wandered away from home and whose return I keep watch for every day.'

I find it interesting that all the definitions written with the brilliant minds of modern scholars behind them focus on the definition of a prodigal by a negative description of what they do, excepting Merriam-Webster's 2nd definition which refers not to man, but to nature, as being luxuriant.  By human standards, the prodigal is defined by his actions: wasteful, short-sighted, irresponsible, and foolish.  Certainly in Jesus story He makes mention of the prodigal son's bad acts, some relating to money, but more in the manner of examples.  Leaving it at the prodigal's acts is falling utterly short of the point.  (As I was writing, a song came to my prodigal mind called 'We Are The Reason' by David Meece - to me, the prodigal mind - or at least THIS recovered prodigal mind - is characterized in part by an enormous sense of shame and regret.  Of being a disappointment.  And honestly, given the 'scholars' definitions of and view on prodigals, no wonder!)  To God, the prodigal is viewed first with nothing short of love.