Where am I today in my journey with Christ? Well, having fully recovered from my Wayward Christian days, I am now filled with His Spirit and have more knowledge, understanding, experience, grace, wisdom, insight, and patience than I had when I first began. And, I am making the daily/weekly/monthly efforts to be active within my Lord's Kingdom.
Here's a peek at some of the things I've been involved with in recent years:
- For a little over three years, I was an assistant pastor at a local church. This experience gave me a bird's eye view — as well as a ton of experience — on what it's like being a pastor, church leadership, people in general, and church culture.
- What do I do best? I am a listener. I can listen for hours to help people feel heard and understood. To date, my longest listening session—without talking, giving advice, or asking questions—was eight hours and two minutes. At the end of the session, the woman thanked me for listening and for not telling her what she needed to do. Active listening is a forgotten skill in today's world!
- I have helped and encouraged former Christians return to their Lord, renew their faith and trust in Him, and draw closer to Him in their daily life.
- Through listening and a bit of sharing, I've helped numerous married couples nurse their marriages back to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health - and helped them take divorce off the table.
- During the late-evening and early-morning hours, I've helped many people shift their focus from suicide to life.
- I have helped several Agnostics, Atheists, Buddhists, and other religionists find Christ — not the religion of Christianity — and begin a new relationship with their Lord, Savior, and Creator!
Christ has once again taken center-stage in my life. I am busy about His Kingdom, and my heart is full! I feel like the Prodigal Son who has finally returned home. And I now view myself as both son and servant of The King.