"I Miss The Way”

By Larry Pasley
Please note the follow lyrics from a Michael W. Smith song [from his album, i 2 (Eye)]:
    Once a true believer, Once there was a fire in your soul
    You were the epitome of blessed faith astir, With thirst for holiness And hunger for the Word
    Now you move in other circles; To the beat of different drums
    And I see only glimpses of the one you used to be; The inspiration that you were to me
    Chorus:
    I miss the way His love would dance within your eyes.
    I miss the way His heart was the soul of your life
    And somewhere in the saddest part of heaven’s room
    Our Father sheds a tear for you; He’s missing you, too
    Some are calling you a prodigal; Some aren’t calling you at all
    But far away someone is calling you back home. Do you hear it anymore out there on your own
    I’ve never heard the song above but I ran across the lyrics and was touched by them. Most, if not all of us know someone who was once a faithful Christian but left the faith. Sadly, the call to return goes unheard or is ignored and many times we stop calling them back altogether.
    God admonishes us to call the erring brother or sister back home:
Matthew 18:12-14 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? [13] And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. [14] Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, [20] let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
    May we never forget our responsibility to call the wanderer back home nor give-up and stop calling. Hopefully one day they will hear and respond to the call back to God and His family.
- Larry Pasley serves as a minister with the Jackson Street Church of Christ in Alexandria, LA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at http://www.JacksonStAlex.com