Prodigalistic Days

A lot has happened the last eighteen minutes, or however long it's been since I sat before this electronic translator of thoughts. You may recall when we last saw our crime fighting duo, Batman was holding off his arch-enemy, Fear (POW) as his trusted side-kick Robin lay helplessly in the bottom of the Bat Boat. (ugggg) Thanks for tuning back in to see what's going on with our dynamic duo down here in the Heart of Dixie. Keep it tuned right here on the Bat Channel as we take a look in on our Caped Crusaders in this week's episode.(ooohhhhh.)


Some things are still as we left them. Dale's back is still broken, and it's still as hot as the sun's surface down here in Alabamee. I expect any day now, to run into a ugly little feller with a pitchfork, horns and a long pointed tail with a Roll Tide tee-shirt on. Yikes! Now I remember what I didn't like about this place when I lived here so many moons ago, it's all coming back to me now.....

Some things have changed.  Let's see, have I mention I had a serious heatstroke? Not sure if I did, which maybe the result of the heatstroke, since my head just ain't been the same since. Did I mention I started a new business? I'm sure I didn't since it's only been open for a couple of weeks now. Did I mention my son, Ron moved back to Knoxville recently? Nope! Then we've got some catching up to do in these prodigalistic days, now don't we. Prodigalistic – don't attempt to spell that at home kids, it may be too dangerous - as old Mr. Webster may rise up from his grave and slap you upside the head for being so stupid, as he did me. It may not be a "real word" but we do indeed appear to be living in prodigalistic days as I like to call them.


The children have left the father, the church has left it's calling, our country has left it's roots, God's blessings seem to have left our country, on and on, prodigalistic days indeed!

Ever notice how some things just seem to happen at the worst possible moment? Well, Dale breaking her back and having to take off work for months without any sick pay or vacation time left would probably fall into that category for us. After donating a kidney to a friend, then having rotator cuff surgery in a seven month period left her paid-time off cupboard a bit empty, and now just isn't a good time if you know what I mean. You see, prior to that fateful boat ride that lasted only eighteen minutes I had rolled the dice from a business perspective, after spending the last year and a half relatively unemployed.


A little background here; Sixteen months ago when I moved here I thought I knew exactly what I was going to be doing at this time. My focus was on serving God, working in whatever capacity I was needed in the church, and holding down a traditional job to make ends meet. Simple enough I thought at the time as I was loading up the ol' wagon. Well, as often is the case, the future looks drastically different once you get there than it did in the visionary window of our minds.

To my surprise there just doesn't seem to be a growing employment market for 50+ year old, fat guys. Go figure! So, to move forward a bit, I've chased after one job opportunity after another until I simply ran out of leads. I started a business, but it's struggled also in today's economy as well. So I thought what the heck, let's start another business. Makes a lot of sense, now doesn't it? Okay, maybe not on the surface. Actually, there was a bit more thought process to it, and a lot of serious praying involved, and at the end of the day I concluded this was the path God has laid before me. A way to serve Him, a way to share the Good News, a way to let His wine, and love to be poured from my cracked and worn-thin jars of water.

And is usually the case there are those that relentlessly attack those kind of efforts out of fears and insecurities in their own lives. Lies and false allegations have replaced the compliments and friendship I received when I merely towed the line as expected. Funny how those that find it so easy to share “ancient wisdom” calling them virtues of truth, yet they struggle so often to demonstrate in their own lives examples of the lessons they know. I pray that the non-prodigal, but absent sons named good judgment and decency return one day, but until then I'll simply continue to show the so-called attackers love every opportunity I have. "Prodigal" - to be wreckless and wasteful with abundance.....

To start up this new venture I had to put together every bit of cash I could scrape together to meet the governmental requirements for business security. Tens of thousands of dollars that I didn't have, but God provided in ways I could have never dreamed possible. As I said, all this began before Dale's back injury, so when the news came in that she could be out of work for more than three months it dropped me to my knees. I had all of our financial needs packed away in this neat little box and in a matter of eighteen minutes everything got turned upside down and dumped into the floor.


The questions of why, and how that I cried out over and over were soon replaced with a mindset that I was going to trust God and not turn back. Fears of what if, were taken capture with the squeezing of His hand and saying in total faith; "Okay, Dad, I trust you!"  What He's done already has been amazing! I could go on and on in great detail as to the ways God has blessed us financially, yet I'll resist, but I'll say this; GOD is GOOD, good indeed. He is faithful to His word and when it comes to financial blessings He say's; put me to the test.  If you're struggling today with your faith that'll He'll provide a way, I suggest you give it a try, it really does work!


As I mentioned, my son Ron moved back to Tennessee after eight months of whatever you would call his visit. Many things are still as they were when he arrived last year when he was virtually homeless and broke. Though he now has an apartment, a job, and a repaired vehicle he's still lacking in some very important categories of life. His emotional and psychological issues still have a stranglehold on the throat of any opportunity for him to live in peace with himself. Will the outside resources he uses to escape the reality of his needs may consume him, I just don't know? I do know I love him, and want so very badly for him to learn to love himself. I pray. I ask you to pray. I cry out again today as a father pleads for help from The Father. It's a situation that has become so heavy on my heart for such a long time now. A prodigalistic situation indeed. I wait.....


As for the heatstroke, its taken quite a toll on my health and routine. What was normal or bearable before, is now dangerous, and I'm struggling to see the boundary lines drawn in the sand. What would be routine experiences outdoors in my yester-days, now leads to violent bouts of illness and dreaded doctors visits. My life's a changing, though I seem to be a bit out of step with it. Can't find my sea legs yet, so again I ask – pray. I'll be very glad when the Fall gets here!

Dale's broken back still has her on the sidelines, yet the depression that comes from feeling useless after living such an active life is what's keeping her floored at this time. The fractured vertebrates and broken tailbone will heal, the heart will regain hope, and the beautiful woman I marveled at as I placed a ring on her finger a year and half ago will smile once again – and all will be okay in the world. This I have faith in, this I believe! Til then, help me pray for her also.


Prodigalistic Days – it's easy to point a finger of blame toward the political party leading the country today, or the one of yester-year.  We can look at the current demize of the oldest of Churches with all of it's sickening laundry being aired with spots and stains of sexual abuse and it's prof-ligated attempt to cover up the sins of it's leaders. It's easy to point a finger at the next generation of kids and young people with their apparent lackadaisical ways and focus only on themselves.

A recent survey showed only 30% of American's calling themselves Christians said they would be willing to die for whatever the reason for God, or their Faith. Less than that said they would be willing to die for their country. In the absence of honor, faith and commitment I figure we have little hope of surviving an implosion of our democracy.  These are very wasteful days indeed!

It's easy to point a finger toward this group or that and place a label of blame for our rotten lot in life, but the real finger pointing should be done toward the reflection in the mirror. Who raised our children? Who supported our church even when it was secretly known that there was wrong being done? Who stood by silently as the rights of our forefathers were stripped from the walls of justice? Who but ourselves should the finger of blame be pointed? Tell me, I demand!


A wise saying tells us; Cultivate goodness in your life and you will become genuine. Encourage goodness in your family and your family will flourish. Spread it throughout your country and your country will be an example to the rest of the world. First there must be virtue in family, then village, then nation, then the world. And how do I know this to be true? By looking.   Virtue in the family must be restored if we are to escape then move away from the prodigalistic days we are living in.

Temporarily my health has escaped my grasp, my son has moved from our home, the smile has left my bride's face, some folks I've called friends have abandoned me at the blowing of a wind. The Church seems to have lost it's way home, and our country continues to walk down a dangerous path, yet I stand at the doorstep with hope – hope that someday I'll see what is absent now, return. Hope that at long last these prodigalistic days will come to an end, and order will be regained in the house that God built.

I can only imagine the steady flow of tears from his eyes as He's stood for so long, day after day on the doorstep of heaven awaiting the return of His children. Never giving up hope, never forsaking us. Waiting with robe and ring in hand for that shadowy figure to loom just over the horizon, and once again joy is restored to a place where hurt has lingered far too long.


Paul, at a very wise age said; Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!

Even in the most prodigalistic of days, I join in and say also; Rejoice in the Lord always....... For the Victory has already been won and our future has been sealed. We are more than conquerors, more than slaves, we are heirs to a kingdom, children of the most high King. Lest we forget in these prodigalistic days.

As I said in the closing of my last entry, a lot can happen in the span of eighteen minutes. Tune in again next week, same Bat Channel - same Bat Time. doug