joy in the upcoming reunion

Today we will see our lovely daughters again. We talked to them in London yesterday, at Jim's sister's home, and they and we are all so excited that we will be together again by this evening. It is so wonderful to us that they are thrilled to be coming home, even though they have had such a great adventure. They have grown up so much, learned so much about themselves and our life that we left behind in Uganda. Although we were close before, we will be closer now that they have been away. The past few days I have been musing upon the story of the prodigal son. I have had a taste of what the father would have felt as he ran to meet his son on the road. How I have wished I could run across the Atlantic so that nothing could prevent my reconnection with my daughters. A parent's bond is so overwhelming and strong. In our case our daughters are not prodigal in any way. They have not been rebellious, or squandered themselves, their money or our money, in any way. They have been and are delightful, responsible, beautiful children. But their going away and their returning have changed something. Most of all what is so precious for all of us is our upcoming joy in reunion. It is already a tangible, sustaining, lifegiving thing. What joy to realize that and to know that the joy will only increase once we are together.