"Never Too Late: Reclaiming Dignity at Sixty"

Nothing changes a person quite like a real encounter with the living God. This past weekend, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how a man in his late 50s made the firm decision to completely turn his life around. There were exaclty 51 men at this retreat.

His wife gave him eight children, but the list didn't end there. Occasional encounters during his travels through Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina brought more children into the world, to the point where he lost track of them. Eventually, his wife drew a definitive line: "Enough, please leave us alone."

In the blink of an eye, he lost everything: his house, car, property, inheritance, job, his relationship with his children, and, most painfully, his dignity. He was completely broken.

Two weeks ago, we happened to be in the right place at the right time. It all started with a casual conversation around my motorcycle. He was at the end of his rope. I told him about a men's event—a space where he could return to God and start over. To my surprise, he said yes. I rode away on my Harley that morning knowing a spark of hope had been lit in his darkness.

This encounter made me reflect on how many people in their mid-years lose track of their identity and purpose. Today, this man is on a new path of restoration, mending his past mistakes.

Two days ago, he confessed to me: "My father never taught me how to relate to my wife and children. I guess I am reaping what I sowed. But I am going to find my wife and each of my children to ask for their forgiveness. I want to change. I found hope in the arms of Jesus."

God uses us in the most unexpected places. Our first conversation happened under a tree, sitting on my Harley. The second took place in church, praying together as tears of remorse and repentance flowed. Our third conversation was a goodbye with a promise: "I will ask my wife to forgive me, and I will leave behind this crazy life I’ve been living for almost five decades."

It is never too late! God can use your motorcycle, your connections, or your own story to guide someone into the light. This past weekend, I experienced firsthand the return of a son to the Father's arms.

"So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

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