Prodigal

• Meaning: The term "prodigal" refers to someone who is wastefully extravagant, particularly in the context of spending money or other resources.
• Definition: Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

Prodigal Son's Prodigal Father
    The son was a rebel, a college drop-out, a carouser, and a partier. He smoked, he drank Johnnie-Walker, he was a brawler, and had more run-ins with the law than you would care to count. By his own admission, he was the quintessential prodigal son. But now he stands to succeed the most respected, admired, and perhaps famous American of the Twentieth Century, Billy Graham. His name is Franklin Graham. Today Franklin Graham not only has a tremendous benevolent ministry called The Samaritan Purse, and has met needs all over the world, but he is now preaching the gospel just as his Dad did, to thousands and thousands of people. He is where he is today because he had a father who made sure the door was always open.

Prodigal Couple
    A priest told me this story: "I once knew a young couple, a husband and wife, who won the grand prize on a TV show called "The One Hundred Thousand Dollar Pyramid." One night, they showed me a videotape of the show and I saw them there on television, jumping up and down and screaming like people do on game shows. They won more money than they had ever imagined, an American dream come true. But winning all that money really ruined their lives. Whereas they had always lived within their means in the past, now they went out and got dozens of credit cards and ran up enormous debts. By the time I met them, they were about to lose everything they had and were on their way to getting a divorce. I know many people would love the chance to ruin their lives with all that money! Maybe you'd like that chance, too. But remember, this couple was truly sad. They were prodigal children."

Prodigal Student
    There is a true story of a student whose parents were tragically killed in an accident. He (the student) suddenly became the beneficiary of the estate. He started squandering the money on lavish trips. He would even invite other students to go along at his expense. He was spending the money so fast that the Chaplain of the college where he was studying called him into his office one day and had a talk with him. He said that as Chaplin of the school he felt it was his responsibility to question his spending habits. The student responded: "But what you don't understand is just how much money I have inherited." "Well, that may be so," said the Chaplain, "but even to a large estate there comes an end." Well, the student did not listen, and by the time he graduated all of his parent's money was gone.