Wander, Seek, Return: The Journey Back to God
- John D McLaughlin
- Oct 29
- 4 min read
The Pull to Wander
Every believer knows what it feels like to drift. Sometimes it’s slow and subtle, like a sheep grazing just a few steps off the path. Other times it’s more deliberate—a restless searching for something new, some experience or teaching that promises satisfaction but never lasts.
Scripture tells us this is nothing new. Jesus used three parables in Luke 15—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son—to show us that even in our wandering, God is pursuing us, calling us to seek Him, and waiting with open arms for our return.
And just as our fascia in the body can become restricted and pull us off alignment, our faith can become constricted by false practices, empty promises, and misplaced longings.
But the good news? God’s design is always for restoration.
The Lost Sheep: Wandering into Empty Cisterns
Luke 15:4 (KJV): “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?”
The sheep didn’t set out to rebel, it simply wandered. That’s what happens in our faith journeys, too. Many start innocently enough: curiosity about yoga, crystals, energy practices, mediumship, tarot, astrology or “spiritual” self-help books.
These things often present themselves as harmless or even helpful. But what they really are, Jeremiah 2:13 tells us, are “broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
We drink deeply, but stay thirsty. We seek comfort, but remain restless. Like fascia pulling tight in one area of the body and throwing the rest off balance, wandering into counterfeit spiritual systems restricts the soul and leaves us bound rather than free.
Reflection Question: Are there places where you’ve allowed novelty, culture, or curiosity to pull you just a few steps off the narrow way?
The Lost Coin: Seeking but Not Finding
Luke 15:8 (KJV): “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?”
The lost coin represents a turning point. The wandering hasn’t brought satisfaction. The practices felt good for a moment, but the soul still feels empty. So the seeker lights a candle, begins sweeping, and starts searching.
This stage is both hopeful and dangerous. Hopeful, because awakening to emptiness can lead to God. Dangerous, because many stay stuck in an endless cycle of searching—from one workshop to another, from one book to the next, from one healing session to another. It’s a treadmill of temporary relief.
In the body, this is like someone chasing “quick fixes” for pain—another patchwork pill, surface-level stretches, or gadgets that offer relief for a few hours but never touch the root. True fascia release takes patience, presence, and integration. Spiritually, true freedom requires seeking diligently in the right place: the Living Water Himself (John 4:14).
Reflection Question: Where are you sweeping diligently but still not finding the coin? Are you willing to shift the search fully onto Christ?
The Prodigal Son: Returning to the Father
Luke 15:20 (KJV): “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
The prodigal didn’t just wander, he willfully walked away. He invested in a lifestyle apart from God and it left him starving. But the turning point wasn’t his failure; it was his return.
This is the heart of the gospel: that no matter how far you’ve gone, no matter how many empty cisterns you’ve tried, no matter how many false gods or counterfeit healings you’ve pursued—when you come home, the Father runs to meet you. He doesn’t wait with crossed arms, He embraces with compassion.
In fascia therapy, release often comes with tears, with hidden pain surfacing. Yet that very release is where freedom begins. Spiritually, repentance feels heavy at first, but it’s the opening for restoration. God doesn’t just clear out the pain, He fills the empty space with His Spirit.
Reflection Question: What does “home” look like for you right now? Are you willing to return to the Father’s arms today?
Fascia, Faith, and the Flow Between the Three
Wandering (Sheep): We drift, sometimes innocently, into empty cisterns.
Seeking (Coin): We recognize the emptiness and begin searching for something real.
Returning (Son): We come back to God, where living water and lasting restoration await.
This threefold journey mirrors what happens in the body’s fascia: tension, recognition, and release. But the goal isn’t simply relief, it’s integration. Healing isn’t found in wandering to the next new thing. It’s found in being filled, sustained, and restored by Christ.
The Invitation to Return: Journey Back to God
Isaiah 55:1 calls out: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat.”
Friend, where are you in this journey? Are you still wandering? Still sweeping with the candle? Or are you ready to arise and come home?
The Father is already watching. Already waiting. Already running toward you with open arms.
Conclusion: Living Water for the Soul
The sheep was found. The coin was restored. The son was embraced. And so will you be, if you turn to Him.
Just as fascia, once released, allows the whole body to move in freedom, faith restored to Christ allows the soul to breathe again. The living water you’ve been craving is not found in syncretism, deception, or endless searching. It’s found in Jesus alone.
Let Him fill your empty cistern. Let Him bring you home. Journey back to God.
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