A few weeks ago we told you about our friend, Mike, that we took back to rehab. He’s in Birmingham for the day because of a court date later this afternoon, but didn’t really have much to do until 4:00pm. Mike worked for Jacob a few years ago prior to his relapse, so we reached out to Jacob with Taproot Landscaping to see if he could put Mike to work for the day. Like always, Jacob was willing and excited to have him.

The Taproot guys usually meet in Seeds for a cup of coffee before they get started for the day. Jim was in Seeds this morning when Mike walked in and described what he saw:

“I saw Mike walk in and once the guys saw him, they all stood up and were shaking his hand and giving him hugs and welcoming him back. You could see his demeanor change in an instant. He got a big smile on his face and you could just tell he felt encouraged.”

It might seem like something small on the surface. But in our last post we talked about the shame and guilt Mike’s been wrestling with. We talked about how much he hates what he’s doing and how much he hates what it’s lead him to do to other people. So a warm welcome, a hug, and a chance to spend the day with people that see deeper than your mistakes is a big deal. Because guilt and shame lead to isolation and initiating the pursuit of healthy relationships isn’t as easy as it may seem. So, sometimes, we need people to pull us close and offer those reminders that we’re seen and loved.

We’ll take Mike to court later this afternoon and we’re looking forward to getting to spend a little time with him. We don’t know how things are going to turn out for Mike. He’s got a long road ahead. But one things is certain: whether he does great or blows it again, he’ll know that he has people to come back to. He’ll know that he’s loved and known and wanted. He’ll know that he’s seen as more than his past mistakes.