About the Author

ALIZA LATTA is a writer, artist, and pastor who is a huge fan of telling stories. She creates content for Canada’s largest youth conference, Change Conference, and is a church planter in Ontario, Canada. Her artwork and writing have been featured in publications for LifeWay, Dayspring, and (in)courage. She is...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. This is beautiful, Aliza,
    Thank you for sharing the truth about our Running Father, and His unconditional love. Your corn maze story will continue to be a reminder to me, to stay on the path, rather than take my own shortcuts. For further insight into the Prodigal Son (and the 2 parables, pertaining to a lost sheep and a lost coin…that connect to it, on the subject of repentance — Luke 15), I would highly recommend the New Lens Ministry study, “The Running Father.” It breaks open such great truths, filled with cultural considerations from the Middle Eastern perspective in which it was taught. Blessings and peace over you and your ministry.

  2. Love this. Yes, I too am guilty of trying to take shortcuts when God’s plan indicates that I should stay the course a bit longer. Your story is well written and memorable. Thank you.

  3. Dear Aliza,

    Beautifully written! This can apply to any season in our life, and is very applicable to Advent which is considered the beginning of the church year.

    Merry Christmas, Sandy

  4. What a wonderful reminder of Gods love for us. Sometimes we need to pinch ourselves with how patient he is with us. Ties in nicely with Christmas around the corner.

  5. Aliza.

    In the first century a middle Eastern man never, ever ran. He would have to hitch up his tunic so as not to trip & thus show his bare legs. In that culture, it was humiliating and shameful for a man to show his bare legs. Why would the father run to His son? if a Jewish son lost his inheritance among Gentiles, and then returned home, the community would perform a ceremony, called the kezazah. They would break a large pot in front of him and yell, “You are now cut off from your people!” The community would totally reject him. Thus the father runs to meet him at the edge of the village before he enters, thus avoiding kezazah. That is a great visual of how our Heavenly Father treats us. He runs toward us sweeping us up in His arms.

    Don’t worry about your past or how far you’ve veered off course. Jesus will always welcome us home. He won’t just welcome us home, but throw a huge celebration in our honor. There is more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 persons who don’t need to repent.

    Blessings 🙂

  6. For some reason, I missed this post yesterday. Maybe I needed it today. We spent a couple years doing all the right things at church. This board and that team. We got bit. I stepped back to take inventory on where my heart was…I feel more focused on God….maybe?