What does prodigal mean? My computer tells me it means spending money or resources freely and recklessly. A few of the synonyms include wasteful, irresponsible, uncontrolled.

So what’s a pitfall? Well, my computer also tells me it means a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty. A few synonyms are problem, hazard, risk . . . You get the picture.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to fool with either word. Sad fact is, we do anyway. We are all prodigals to some degree and we all experience pitfalls. That truth stinks, if you ask me. But it’s the truth nonetheless.

In Indigo Isle, my main character, Sonny Bates, lands herself in a prodigal pitfall. Sonny thinks she’s better off on her own, dismissing all the rules her parents required her to adhere to while living with them. Years pass by until Sonny finally realizes those rules were to protect her, not hold her back. It’s a messy journey for her to be able to pull herself out of the prodigal pitfall, but what a beautiful story it becomes—a story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds.

We all mess up and can find ourselves in some dark places, but that does not have to be the end of our story. My focal Scripture for this entire book is on an index card on my closet wall so I can read it each day: “I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again” (Ezekiel 34:16). I think we could all use that reminder.

If you find yourself in a prodigal pitfall, please realize you don’t have to stay in it. Turn back to God. I guarantee He’s waiting with an outstretched hand to help bring you safely home again.

T.I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of nearly twenty published novels, including her recent bestselling and critically acclaimed novel, Under the Magnolias, and her debut breakout, Lulu’s Café. Her newest book, Indigo Isle, released today!

T.I. lives with her husband and family in coastal South Carolina. Learn more about her on her website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Author photo by Jordyn Strickland, copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.

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