My son called. Through years of drug abuse, Scott had stolen from our family, manipulated us, and failed us. It had been a relief not to hear from him for two years.

Scott told me he'd been through a rehabilitation program a year and a half ago that provided something no other had offered. "I met Jesus Christ. I've been forgiven for my past. I want to ask you and Mom to forgive me, too." He said he was now helping other addicts get straightened out.

I was torn between hope and cynicism. The well-groomed, bright-eyed young man who arrived at the airport looked like a stranger. In the days that followed, Scott told how, in the midst of drug withdrawal, he'd seen a vision of Jesus Christ on the cross and cried out to him for help. His withdrawal symptoms ended instantly. That experience had led him to a church. "I asked Jesus to be my Lord," he quietly explained, "and my life hasn't been the same since."

The change in Scott was too dramatic for my wife and me to ignore. Today, Jesus has given us the same new life he gave our prodigal son.