Thier doormat said "grace"

Their doormat said "GRACE" and they let me wipe my feet on it.
You see, I had been on a rather long journey and I was covered in filth. Filth of my own doing, muck of my own making, drudgery of my own design. But I had made it back, and my Father welcomed me with open arms, but would they?

I had left for my journey, turned my back on my Father, on my family, on my identity and I had forfeited my place.
And I had come back with a Scarlet "P" across my belly.
My Daddy saw past my actions and saw my heart; my heart beaten and bruised by the wild thorns that had there found fertile soil just a few years before.
But would my family see me as I was before,
or as a has-been-but-not-welcome-anymore?
I feared the gossip that I deserved.
I was a growing magnet of attention. I felt naked and exposed; for all the world could see my sin.

I feared my cherished place was gone for good; my station filled, my seat taken.

But when I walked up to my beloved church, my Father had already gone ahead and cleared a spot for me.
My family laid out a doormat for me that said "GRACE", and they told me to wipe my feet on it.
See, they knew I'd been on a long journey, and saw that I was covered in filth.
Filth of my doing, muck of my own making, drudgery of my own design.
And they could see that filth was heavy, slowing my down, and they helped me wipe my feet and showed me to my special place that they had left open for me.
No need for this scarlet letter any more they said, your debt was already paid by a Savior on a cross, by your Father long before you ever left. See, we've all had our scarlet letters, we've all been covered in some muck, and we all found our Daddy and He welcomed us with open arms.
And then He led us to this place;
to a doormat that said "GRACE"
and He said "Go in, your family longs to see your face."

And I cried as I understood so deep within my soul, that Daddy knew my wild heart would need a place to grow.
And so He put me here, amongst my fellow freedom friends,
to learn and grow and learn to make amends...
with life's mistakes, and filth and muck.
And to make a warm place to welcome the next traveler who needs to rest in a place whose doormat reads "GRACE".