Author: Prodigal

(Photo Credit: Aaron Burden & Pexels.com)

My last blog (I hope you heal) was posted just over a year ago. Looking back on the last year, there was no way I could have known how much of a foretelling that blog post was. I’ll spare you all of the minute details. Let’s just say there have been a LOT of changes in my life. Some good. Some, not so good, but if there is one constant out there, it’s change.
I believe the moniker "Prodigal Thinker" is not nearly as applicable as in times past. Am I still a prodigal? To an extent, I think we all are. Prodigals are those who lived a life outside of following Jesus and then came to a saving knowledge of grace. (If that is you, then you’re a prodigal.) Do I still think? Well, of course! More than ever, actually. Where the moniker has lost its "flair" is that I’m different now than before. Different perspectives. Different thought processes. Different reactions, values, and boundaries. Just….well, different.
No, I don’t plan on removing all of the prodigal thinker "brand" (if that’s what you want to call it).
One of the more recent developments is that I was officially diagnosed with Level 1 Autism. (Did I mention viewing things from a different perspective?) The diagnosis happened just over two months ago. So, how would that change how I view things? First and foremost, I have the freedom to look at myself differently. In a positive light, instead of looking down on myself for not fitting in or being odd or whatever. I’m beginning to learn who I am. Most days, that’s no big deal. Some days, though, are extremely frustrating and annoying. If I allow myself some grace in those moments, I gain a lot of insight into the stranger I see in the mirror. I can also see that little boy, you know…Little Mike, the one that no one really stood up for, the one who would cry himself to sleep because he knew something was "off", but was told he wasn’t trying hard enough. The little boy who needed more protection and was longing to be understood. Well, I’m standing up for that little guy. I’m breaking cycles and generational crap. I’m choosing honesty and a very low threshold for BS.
THAT’S who I am!!
If you’re still onboard, that’s wonderful and I’m glad you’re here. Either way, I’m moving forward.

-M

What do we know about time?

Here are some quotes I came across on the interwebs…

"Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." Dale Carnegie

"We must use time as a tool, not a couch." John F. Kennedy

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Andy Warhol

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." Pope John Paul II

Time is neither good nor bad, moral nor immoral. Time is beyond our control, but we can be mindful and attempt to harness the power of time for the greater good.

Why do I post about time?

Well, it has been 290 days since my last confession…I mean, Prodigal post. Was this an intentional break? Not really, but it has a LOT to do with mental health. At the time of my last post, my job at the time was very demanding of my attention and energy which left little time to address personal issues I was facing. When someone is fighting through a season of fairly deep depression, not having time or energy to even want to deal with personal issues can be problematic. Thankfully, I bade farewell to that employer at the end of September 2023. I now work for an employer that is MUCH less demanding of my energy and my time. I’ll be honest with you. I’m not out of the deep pool of depression just yet, but I’m beginning to see the light on the other side. Don’t worry, it isn’t THAT light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, a Prodigal Post wouldn’t be a "Prodigal Post" unless there was at least one verse of scripture and thoughts on that verse. Thankfully, the Holy Bible has a lot to say about time, but for this post, the verse that speaks to me the most is Romans 8:18 in which the Apostle Paul writes, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us." (NRSV) The Apostle Paul was no stranger to suffering, both in the name of Christ as well as in his health, but he didn’t let his difficulties dictate his availability to be used by God.

We have to make the most of every opportunity to share the love of Christ with others. Besides, your willingness to make yourself available for others could be the catalyst that keeps that person on this earth for a longer amount of time. We don’t have to have all of our ducks in a row. Just as we don’t have to clean ourselves up for the Heavenly Father to accept us, we don’t have to have our "stuff" together to be used by God. Be the person you wish you were able to turn to when you realized you were lost without Jesus.

If you ever need prayer you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Pixabay via Pexels.com

~PRODIGAL MIKE

ProdigalPrays

"He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake."

Psalm 23:3 NRSV

He restores? Now, I’m no grammar expert, but the interwebs would designate the word "restores" as a present tense verb. So that would imply that our Heavenly Father is still restoring us. Like the restoration is a process rather than a one time fix. As a Nazarene, this is the process of sanctification. It begins when we realize that we can never be "good" on our own and we make a decision to surrender our lives, our thoughts, motives, actions, and all that we could ever be and hand it all over to Jesus. When we make that decision, God through Jesus Christ can begin His work in and through us. So, it is both an event that happens, but also a process that continues to happen as long as we remain surrendered to our Father, and as long as He gives us breath.

There are a LOT of restoration shows/channels out there on the interweb. I am a fan of the shows that restore cars and also the ones that restore/refurbish furniture. There is just something comforting to me knowing that one person may think of something as trash while others can see beyond the current condition to what the item could be. Restoration can be a messy business though. Oftentimes there is rust or damage that has to be removed and repaired as part of the process to return the item to a beautiful creation again. The life of a follower of Jesus is NOT always easy, but the outcome is beautiful. So, if the world is telling you that you are damaged, broken, useless, or worthless, let me reassure you that our Heavenly Father sees you as His beautiful creation. He doesn’t make mistakes and He made you.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or join the Prayer Requests – Prodigals private group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: CottonBro Studio

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?"

Psalms 8:3-4 NRSV

Have you ever just laid down on the ground and stared up at the night sky for a while? It is absolutely breathtaking, especially when there’s not a lot of city lights and light pollution to take away from it all. I don’t do this often, but about a year ago I had hit a VERY low point with my mental health. So, after I finished taking the trash can to the road for the next day’s pick up, I just laid down on the driveway. As I did, my anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed seemed to diminish when compared to the vastness of the night sky. I was praying to the Father and asking Him to help me want to keep going. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to carry on another day on my own. Slowly, the tears began to slip from the sides of my eyes. After about 10 minutes, my oldest son came out to check on me. I heard the words, "Hey, dad. You good?" I didn’t want to spew out all of my junk on him, so I replied, "Yea, buddy. I’m just chillin’ for a minute." I figured he’d just go back inside, but he came over next to me and laid down close to me. I doubt he knew the battle I was fighting in my heart and in my head. Another 10 minutes passed and we hadn’t said a word. He didn’t have to say anything. Just him being there was the "grounding" I needed between the night sky and the condition of my mental condition.

You see, as I looked at the stars in the heavens, my mind kept going back to the creation narrative where God breathed out the stars. He is so amazing and powerful and awesome. Why would he stop what He was doing to check on me? I mean, in the grand scheme of things, I didn’t feel I was important. But when my son came to check on me and he just joined in the silence, I knew I was not forgotten. I was not alone. Our heavenly Father is ALWAYS there for us. You may not hear him, but he is with you. If you are having difficult days or going through a season where you would rather not be on this earth, please know that you are not alone.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Andy Vu via Pexels

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,"

Titus 2:11-12 NRSV

No, this isn’t a picture of me, but I felt a bit like this fella on the inside over the last few weeks. I won’t go and spew out all of the details because, honestly, it doesn’t really matter. What IS important for me to share is that we have a couple of choices when life takes a swing at us below the belt. We can either be derailed by life’s storms or we can ask our heavenly Father what He wants for us to learn or to take away from the situation. In the first example, there is a tendency for some to dig their heels in and fight. For others still, they allow the difficulty to overwhelm them, mark them for life, and define who they are oftentimes identifying as a victim. What if, instead, we allowed ourselves to be in such a state of surrender to the heart and will of God that when storms are brewing and bearing down on us, we just took a deep breath and with our exhale, we asked our Father to give us eyes to see what He sees. To ask our Father to surround and protect us, but to also give us wisdom to know what is true and what is false.

Our Father has our best interests at heart. He doesn’t cause chaos. He brings peace to overwhelm and guide us through the chaos.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio

~PRODIGAL MIKE

As I was perusing the interwebs over the last few days, I remember reading something that said "Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup." I understand what the phrase means, but what does that look like when you flesh it out? What does it feel like to NOT be exhausted (mentally/physically/emotionally) all of the time? I might have little sunshine moments where the sun is able to shine through and warm my soul, but this is not often. (Maybe a couple of times per month, if I’m being generous.)

What do you do to not be empty?

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Madison Inouye

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
Psalms 19:14 NRSV

So, for those that don’t know, I work a secular job in the manufacturing field. Why do I mention it is a secular job? Well, the language that is freely spoken throughout the plant is, well, I’ll say it is "colorful" to say the least. When I first started working here I was overwhelmed with the obscenities that were just so casually handed out with each statement. Over time, I hear the words, but I’m not really phased by the language. Am I judging those who speak in that manner? Absolutely not. My desire is to love each person as God has shown me love. No exceptions.

I mention this because for most of the folks I’ve encountered, when they find out that I am a follower of Jesus, they IMMEDIATELY change how they speak and act. They "clean up" their language and how they respond. Honestly, this hurts my heart more than the language. Why? Let me ask this… Does our heavenly Father require us to get all cleaned up (language/actions/habits) before we can seek Him? Goodness, no!! He accepts us as we are, where we are. He doesn’t focus on our failures. He focuses on the steps we are making toward Him, toward Christlikeness. With time in close relationship with Him, through grace and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit, those things that we feel we need to "clean up" will fade away.

If you have been told or been made to feel that you are lower than pond-scum and that you have to get right before you can even try to talk to the Creator, I’m sorry. You weren’t told the Truth. There is grace that God gives, grace that even goes ahead and prepares the path to salvation in our hearts and lives. If you want to know more about that, HERE is an article about "prevenient grace." When I found out about this grace, it was a total game-changer for me. If you have questions about it, just reach out. My details are below.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: PIXABAY

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"Pray for those who have fallen into sin, that meekness and humility may be given to them, so that they may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God."

Courtesy of Christianity.com