Hard-Won Wisdom on Parenting Prodigals
Bill Putman is a pastor and church planter who had a prodigal
son. That son, Jim Putman, went on to become a pastor—and father to a prodigal son of his own (Christian, who also
discovered a calling to ministry). One doesn't envy these men their experiences of heartbreak, confusion, and powerlessness,
but their hard-won wisdom comes as a blessing to other parents whose children have left the church. Bill and Jim Putman
recently published a book, Hope for the Prodigal: Bringing the Lost,
Wandering, and Rebellious Home. CT carried an excerpt in our September issue.
As the Putmans observe, "Having a prodigal in our lives can
expose us—in a good way—although the exposure doesn't always feel beneficial at the start. We might not
be prodigal ourselves, but ultimately, the crisis shows where we may have gone off the rails or developed false beliefs. God
may allow or ordain circumstances that expose our attitudes and beliefs, revealing our deep need for God's ongoing help."
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