I've never been one for quoting the Bible, but of all the stories we discussed in our Religion classes, one stuck with me- if only because it always confused me. Forgive any misquotes, for it has been a very long time..
The story went something like this: a father had two sons. The older one was always faithful to the father and stayed with him, working for him; the younger one left and wasted all his money living it up, gambling or w/e. The one who left quickly ran out of money and was forced to work really bad jobs to get by. Finally he returned to the father and, humbled, asked for forgiveness. The father welcomed him back and loved him more than the son who had stayed. Annoyed, the older son asked why the father favored the one who abandoned him, when the older one had always been faithful. The father replied: because the one who left came back; he was tested and he returned.

I didn't understand this story for years, until I realized I was looking at it all wrong. It was never about the result; it was about the journey getting there.