Philip Yancey tells the story of a young teen-age girl in Traverse City, Michigan who decided her dad was stupid and home was stupid and church was stupid. So she runs away to Detroit and ends up a druggie earning a living by turning “tricks” like all the other homeless girls do. She’s sleeping on metal grates outside department stores through the hard Detroit winter.

This girl finally decides one night to call home, and three times straight gets her folks’ answering machine. She hangs up. Finally the third time after the beep she blurts out: “Dad, Mom, it’s me. I was wondering about maybe coming home. I’m catching a bus up your way, and it’ll get there about midnight tomorrow. If you’re not there, well, I guess I’ll just stay on the bus until it hits Canada.”

Next day she rides for seven hours. Worries. Practices her speech. “Daddy, mother – I’ve been so foolish. Can you ever forgive me?” The bus gets closer. Her heart is pounding. “What if they never even got the message? What if they’re not there?”

They get to Traverse City. The bus pulls in to the little station with neon lights. “15 minutes, rest stop, folks!” the driver announces. Fifteen minutes to decide her life. It’s pure terror. She checks her hair, licks the lipstick off her teeth. Now, according to the math of the world she ought to get nothing. Zip. And she knows it. No forgiveness, no welcome back, no making up, especially after how she slapped everyone in the face, then ran away.

So she walks into the terminal, not knowing what to expect. Never in her wildest dream expecting to see what’s there. Forty people, brothers and sisters, great-aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmother and great-grandmother! All wearing goofy party hats and blowing noisemakers. And a huge banner taped across the entire terminal, “Welcome home!” And there comes her Dad. Her eyes fill with tears, and she begins her memorized speech, “Daddy, I’m so sorry. I know I hurt you...” He interrupts her, “Hush, child! We’ve got no time for that. You’ll be late for the party! A banquet’s waiting for you at home!”