An old Hemingway short story
Told of an aged man in Madrid
Searching for his wayward son.

The grieving dad posted an ad in the paper
That read:

“Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana
At noon on Tuesday.
All is forgiven!
Love, Papa.”

Paco is such a common name in Spain
That the next day
There were 800 young men
At the hotel waiting for their fathers.

Who doesn’t yearn for assurance
That their father isn’t disappointed in them?

Beloved, here’s today’s blessed news:

Your Father has posted His advertisement
Not in a newspaper, but in His timeless Book:

“In Christ, all is forgiven.
There is no condemnation.
All shame is gone.
Love, Abba.”

In Christ,
You aren’t a disappointment to God—
You’re a delight.