One of the most enjoyable perks of being a full-time pastor is the opportunity to pick up my kids from school each day. With two kids, ages 15 and 12, I’m well aware that those days are quickly coming to an end. Over the last month or so, Conner has decided that he’d like to ride the bus because it gives him a chance to spend a little more time with his friends in the afternoon. Since he made that decision, his bus arrives promptly at 3:45 PM, every day. Except yesterday.

I made my way down to the drop-off area and quickly became concerned when the bus didn’t arrive. Knowing that cell phones can be problematic at school, I was hesitant to reach out to him and confirm that everything was ok. But when his bus was nearly 15 minutes late, anxiety got the best of me. I sent a quick text message that read, “Hey Man! You ok?” No response. Christy spent most of her afternoon tutoring after school and I really didn’t want to bother her so I waited as long as I could and then finally gave her a call to see if she had heard anything about the buses running a little late today. She was as uninformed as I was. Seconds after we began to discuss the situation, the bus appears and Conner steps off and this parent, plus his Mom, experienced immediate relief.

Now, to be clear, we weren’t panicking. But we knew something was up because the bus is always on time. As soon as Conner could hear my voice, I simply said, “Hey Man! Why are you guys running late?” His response, “We had a fire drill.” Conner didn’t actually ride the bus yesterday and missed the announcement about the drill taking place this afternoon so none of us knew. In the next few seconds, we made our way closer to each other and, because of that fleeting moment of concern, I wrapped my arms around him and simply said, “I love you. I was getting a little worried about you.” For just a moment, I held his head to my chest and was so thankful that there was a perfectly good explanation for the delay.

Conner is a typical 12-year-old boy. Unless, of course, you fail to mention the fact that the kid is more musically talented than I ever was or will be. He is intelligent. He is funny. He is compassionate and kind. But, if I’m being honest, he knows how to drive me insane sometimes. Don’t get me wrong. I love him with all of my heart and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. He is my son. But, as a 12-year-old kid, he has already begun testing the limits. I get it. I did the same thing. He is almost a teenager and by almost I mean 9 days. He’ll be 13 in 9 days! I just can’t believe it. He and I don’t always see eye to eye. His Mom doesn’t always see things from his perspective. Sometimes his room is a mess. Sometimes he forgets his homework. Sometimes he argues about the rules. But the fact remains that he and his sister, Cayden, are the lights of our lives.

Today, when his bus ran late, I wasn’t thinking about the times that he has worked my nerves, as I’m sure I’ve worked his as well. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that his room was not perfectly clean or that there was homework to be completed. All I could think about was the fact that he was late and I wanted to know why.

I’m not sure where you are in life. Maybe you’ve drifted away from the love of God. Maybe you’ve drifted away from His presence. Maybe you’ve drifted away from the blessing of being in His house and among His people. Life can be tough. It has a way of beating us down and positioning us in a place of discouragement and despondency. Maybe you think you’ve done too much…compromised too much…sinned too much. Believe me when I tell you that your heavenly Father loves you unconditionally and more than you can possibly comprehend. There is no sin so black, so vile, so reprehensible that it could possibly change the way He feels about you.

No matter where you are…no matter who you are…choose today to return to Him. He is not angry. He is not waiting to judge. He is not anxious to convict and execute. He is waiting to love you…to forgive you…to restore you…to deliver you. No matter what you’ve heard, no matter how you feel, make a decision today to return to Him, even if you’re a little late. When you finally arrive and take a step in His direction, He’ll be waiting with open arms. Trust me. It’s just what fathers do.