The Goodness of God

In fields of clover I stop, look and wait…It’s been a long difficult journey…

Just there in the distance I see him…

He’s running towards me with arms held out, face shining in the sunlight…a smile as big as the sky…

I drop everything I’m carrying and with every ounce of energy I possess I break into a full run…

Papa! Papa! Two hearts collide as he picks me up and swings me around, we embrace and tears of pure joy flow…

It’s been too long, too long since I saw you last…but Papa, I promise, I’m never leaving home again. I’m here to stay with you forever!

The greatest love I’ve ever known was holding me in His arms…

Child, I’ve missed you, welcome home!!

Have you ever known a love like this? My birth dad wasn’t in my life growing up. It was complicated. I had a stepdad though he was a good man. I can’t say I’ve ever known the closeness of a loving Father. But I can say that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the love of my heavenly father is more real, more genuine, more faithful, than any an earthly father could have given me. I was listening to the song, “The Goodness of God.” And I saw the image I wrote above. It kind of reminded me of the prodigal son. But my feeling was of a child who had lived far away from her dad and upon coming back home she spots him in the distance. He had been anticipating her return. He would go every day to that field and watch. He knew that one day she’d return. And on this day fifteen years later she was there. Spiritually speaking.

I had run from God for fifteen long grueling years. My papa God knew I’d come home one day, and I did. The life I’ve lived in the last nine years have been more blessed than I can tell you. But I will tell you this, God is faithful no matter what.

You are never too far away that you can’t turn around and in an instant be in the arms of your heavenly Papa.

I would cry and beg God to help me. But I was in no condition to help myself. So, I ran and ran and ran. Until finally I ran into the arms of my heavenly father. He didn’t reject me. He welcomed me with all the love he has in his great big heart.

March 13, 2013, Bob and I were married. This was a true turning point in my life and I’ve never been the same since. God knew what I needed. He knew I needed love. Bob says, he didn’t pray for a wife, he prayed that God would give him greater faith. I guess we both got what we needed. It’s been an amazing nine years and with God’s help we will continue to grow and love each other. We’ll do whatever it is or go wherever God takes us until one day we run into His arms and are finally in our heavenly home.

If you’re hurting and searching, if you’re running from something that has caused you to fear and be full of guilt and shame. I’m here to tell you stop running away and run into the arms of your loving heavenly father. He’s waiting every single day for you to come home. He wants to give you an abundant, glorious, victorious, love filled, life.

~Marla Shaw O’Neill March 7, 2022

Luke 15:13-24

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to^[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.