"Granny, hearing of your great age, I have come to see you."
Granny grunted. She was evidently in no genial mood. Though the old lady was notorious in the neighborhood for her great age and her hard, almost ferocious heart, the newcomer had ventured to visit her for the sake of Him "who cutteth out rivers in the rocks" and whose "eye seeth every precious thing."
Granny sat still on her chair by the fire, offering no seat to her visitor. The old shack itself was not inviting, and the visitor received only silence for her few remarks. Finally, after saying she would come again, she heard the surly, "You can if you like!" From this unfriendly atmosphere the visitor departed.
"Granny, I have such good news for you!"
There was her visitor again! Granny looked surprised. It was not often "good news" came to her. She offered her visitor a chair this time. Her caller sat down and without comment read the 15th chapter of Luke's gospel. She read on, and by-and-by she saw tears streaming down the dark, wrinkled old cheeks. Still she read on: "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
Granny's hard fist came down upon her knee with a heavy thud. "I never heard the likes of that before!"
Have you? Have you ever heard of such love? "While he was yet a great way off."
(That watching father knew at once, in spite of the rags and the lagging step, who it was.)
"And had compassion and ran."
(His heart overflows and he cannot wait to welcome his loved one.)
"And fell on his neck."
(He did not give him time to finish his speech. Love shut his mouth.)
"And kissed him."
(No matter the rags and the plight; it was the returning heart the father wanted.)
When the soul has no plea but "I have sinned," then God's love freely flows out. No matter what or who you are, it is yourself God wants, just as you are.
Granny was saved and changed. She saw Christ in His beauty revealing the love of God. She had the joy of sitting at His feet, and then went in her great old age to be with Him whom she had kept out of her life so long.