In his fascinating book Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton tells how he left what he thought was the Christian faith, only to find the real thing later in life. To illustrate his spiritual journey, Chesterton describes the absurd scene of planting the flag of the British Empire on a foreign island, but then discovering it's actually the coast of England.

Raised in a lifeless "Christian" church, Chesterton had left his nominal faith. But later he began to doubt the atheistic assumptions that had led to his unbelief. He discovered the truth he had missed before. The "new country" was really home after all.

Jesus told a story about a young man who left home but later discovered its value. In the parable of the prodigal son, the youngest son asked for his share of his father's estate. Wandering far from home, he set no limits on his continuous partying. But his self-indulgent lifestyle caught up with him, and he became a pauper. Finally he went back home and confessed his sin. Life's painful consequences had forced him to return to a loving father.

At times we all feel the tendency to wander from the One who redeemed us. Our loving Father is watching and waiting for our return. 
  — Dennis Fisher