Portraits of Grace – Melinda Whittemore

Hi. My name is Melinda Whittemore. I currently live in Western North Carolina. I am a single mom to a beautiful creative daughter. Being raised in South Texas gave me the advantage of being bilingual in Spanish/English, which I use daily in the world of Insurance. God has allowed me to be my church pianist and allows my Sunday Mornings to be filled with a wonderful group of 9-12 year olds. Cooking and music are my spare time fillers and I love a good sunrise.

I look forward to this road wherever God chooses to take
me until grace leads me home!

One of my favorite accounts of grace is that of the prodigal son’s father, Luke 15:11-32. His dad was such a gracious individual . Scripture shares a moment came where his son wanted his inheritance, and wanted to walk away from the safest love he had ever known. The father listened to the son’s heart. He granted his request with favor, unmerited I might add. Evidently days went by after the dispersment before the son gathered his things and moved out.

Can you imagine watching, yet distance was granted by the father. As his boy left, scripture says that the son went into a far country and became a citizen. As the story moves along we find this gracious man’s son leaning over the pig’s food with hunger because all the father had given him was wasted on an empty lifestyle. Here he is hungry and dreaming about the servants he had grown up with. Oh to be one of my dad’s busboys!! Just to have supper once again where it’s safe and warm.

The Holy Spirit took time to write these words, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired  servants.” Listen to these words, do they sound familiar? His heart told him that he was unworthy; his actions convinced him that his choices were not that of a child of his father’s character. His feet though moved him to walk back to the place he knew where he would have satisfaction for the hunger.

As he returned a far way off, Dad was looking off in the distance, looking for his boy. The son saw himself as unworthy but the father saw him as HIS. As he ran to meet him, what the Father did not do is what shows grace to my heart. He didn’t say, do you know how many lonely nights I have waited for you, looked for you, do you not know what reputation this family has in the community? Do you realize what you have done? YOU knew better, you were not raised that way!! I have been the perfect parent to you, I gave you what you wanted now look at you. NO!!

He spoke nothing but made his body a covering over hungry ribs and kissed the husk stained face of a son he loved. He had planned for this day!! He dressed and adorned. Not out of approval but out of GRACE! He gave him more than he had when he left. Grace didn’t change this boy’s past but it made his future accountable by love. Oh Father, help us to never forget the grace you have shown us. Help us to show your grace and goodness in a manner that would lead men to repentance and a closer walk with you!