Fighting for Your Prodigal
The moment a newborn is placed in the hands of a parent is usually one of the most joyous moments. There are so many prayers for a happy and bright future. Most parents never even give pause to the thought that their child might grow up to reject the Christian faith.
Yet that is the nightmare that many Christian parents are facing. My Bridges guest Laine Lawson Craft says, “It’s not really a moment that parents can plan for...it’s unexpected...it catches you by surprise.” Laine recalls the shock, the fear and the anger she experienced when she realized her eldest son had strayed from the faith and was making dangerous decisions that could change the entire trajectory of his life.
The trend of prodigal children is sadly quite common. That is why I invited Laine to be my guest on Bridges and share her journey of parenting 3 prodigal children at the same time. Full disclosure – I am no stranger to the journey of parenting a prodigal myself. I know all too well the pain and fear that can only be handled through faith.
While Laine shared her journey on Bridges, she was beautifully honest. There were times in her journey that she experienced gut-wrenching sorrow and anger. There were years that her eldest prodigal made self-destructive choices. There were calls in the middle of the night and fears over what was next. But Laine continued to pray and believe through it all.
Laine’s Aha Moment
If you have a prodigal or know someone who does please join us for the Bridges series, fighting for your prodigal airing in March. Here is an aha moment that changed everything for Laine. Years before she was parenting 3 prodigals, Laine was in a lifeless marriage. But in a moment God resurrected the marriage and brought love and life back into their relationship. When Laine recalled that miracle, that was her aha moment. She realized that if God could do that – He could reclaim each of her children too.
It wasn’t easy but Laine kept the faith and never stopped praying. Eventually, each of Laine’s children returned to faith. Laine now reaches out to other parents of prodigals. Her podcast, Warfare Parenting, and her book, The Parents Battle Plan, are tools to help parents fight for their children.