EchoScene: Prodigal 5 - Farmer: Tough Love

In our latest EchoScene, Teddy asks Farmer Digsley how the prodigal named Sonny managed during the famine. Digsley’s answer is blunt:

“Once he asked me if he could eat the pigs’ food. But I just couldn’t spare nothing. I need fat pigs for bacon. Skinny pigs are bad for business. I had to say no.”

It sounds harsh, even unkind. Sonny was desperate. But sometimes the Lord uses hunger, real or spiritual, to get our attention. In Luke 15, the turning point for Sonny wasn’t when he received pity; it was when he hit bottom and realized he needed to go home.

The Bible reminds us that discipline is not easy, but it serves a greater purpose:

“No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

Digsley’s refusal forced Sonny to see what he was truly missing: not just food, but the care and provision of his father. In the same way, our moments of hunger, emptiness, or longing can turn us back to God, who welcomes us with grace.

Where in your life has God used a season of hunger or discipline to turn your heart back toward Him?