Guest Author - Andrea Merrell
The Blank Canvas has the special honor of having Andrea Merrell share her thoughts and insights about her latest book. Andrea has a special place in my heart as she is the editor of my debut novel, Chasing the Butterfly. Without her expertise and encouragement, the book may never had seen the light of day! I'm proud to call this talented and compassionate woman my friend.
God’s Promises for Prodigals
By Andrea Merrell
Every muscle in my body tensed as the phone rang late one evening. I didn’t know how much more bad news I could take. Was it one of my children? Another prank call? Maybe this time it was the police, the hospital, or—worse yet—the morgue.
I eased the phone to my ear and heard a raspy female voice. “I know where your daughter is and she almost OD’d.”
I gasped and squeezed the receiver. My eyes closed in a feeble attempt to shut out the words and images bouncing around in my mind. My daughter—and her dad’s truck—had been missing for days.
“Who is this?” I barely recognized my own voice.
“That’s not important. Do you wanna know where she is or not? She’s okay now, but yesterday her buddies said if she died, they’d throw her in a dumpster and not think another thing about it.”
Hopefully, you’ve never gotten a phone call like this—and never will. It was certainly one I never expected, but because of a stranger’s willingness to let me know how to contact my daughter, a chain of events began that culminated in the deliverance, redemption, and restoration of both my children.
No parent, grandparent, or guardian is ever prepared for a beloved child, teen, or young adult to walk away from everything they have been taught—everything good and wholesome in their lives—but the staggering truth is: even good kids rebel—and even goodparents can end up with a prodigal.
Even more important is the fact that it’s no one’s fault. We can waste a lot of time and effort pointing the finger of blame. This only creates an environment of guilt and condemnation, and makes us feel hopeless.
The Bible is filled with promises for the prodigal and those who love them. If you or someone you love is dealing with a prodigal, I encourage you to trust God with your whole heart and believe He will do what He says He will do. God is faithful, His Word is truth, and we should never give up when we are praying according to His will.
Praying for the Prodigal (now available on Amazon) is filled with practical survival tips, advice from my former prodigals, and thirty days of prayers and Scriptures. This book will strengthen you for the battle ahead and help you hold fast to God’s promises. It will remind you that there is always hope for the prodigal and help for those who wait.
Andrea Merrell is Associate Editor for Christian Devotions Ministries and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is also a freelance editor and has been published in numerous anthologies and online venues. Andrea is the author of Murder of a Manuscript. The Gift, and Praying for the Prodigal. For more information visit www.AndreaMerrell.com or www.TheWriteEditing.com.
Here are the links in case you need them.
Amazon link for Praying for the Prodigal – http://amzn.to/1BFOhK9