Lost and Found… all his life Clyde was locked up, locked in, or locked out. But today, life is different. Clyde’s different. He just needed a touch from the Master.

Does Prayer Work? If Clyde’s mother were alive today, she might have a good answer for you. After 50 years of running, her son is a prodigal no more. It just took a little time.

People come to Wayside for many reasons: Homelessness. Addiction. Abuse. But in Clyde’s case, it took 64 years of running before he finally found his way.

Clyde remembers his childhood as a time of trouble. Describing his parents, he says, “My father was an alcoholic, and my mother was a God-fearing woman.”

“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” ~ Matthew 18:12

“Honestly, my dad wasn’t abusive. He was just a drunk. I remember feeling so embarrassed as a child that I never wanted to bring any friends around.” Consequently, Clyde wanted to be everywhere else but home.

Though he was raised in the church, his mother’s strict religious nature actually caused him to run away from God and pursue a rebellious lifestyle. “I was a disobedient child…. I did what I wanted, when I wanted.”

Clyde started using drugs and turned to a life of crime. He went from spending time in a juvenile detention center at age eight to nearly 60 years in and out of prison.

“Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord. ~ Jeremiah 23:24

“All that time, I was just chasing the next high. I was an addict, a liar, and a thief. I didn’t care about anybody but myself. My brother and sister both found success in life, but I guess I was that lost sheep. I never gave my mom any reason, no matter how hard she prayed, to have any hope.”

The turning point came when Clyde finally “…got tired of the chase. I got on my knees and asked God to remove the desire to get high.” The Lord responded and took away his addiction, but Clyde kept getting into trouble with the law.

“You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.” ~ Psalm 139:5

One day, while hearing people talking about Wayside Cross Ministries during his last stint in jail, he felt as if God might be leading him here. As soon as he had the chance, Clyde got on a bus and then a train for what seemed like hours, until he finally walked through our doors.

After 30 years of running, he was ready for change.

Wayside Cross’ Master’s Touch Men’s Recovery and Transitional Housing program helps men dealing with a lifetime of brokenness, including addiction; depression; and common, self-defeating mental health and behavioral issues. This combination of Bible-based, Christ-centered recovery programs, pastoral care, and certified Biblical Counseling professionals is a model for recovery, and best of all, it’s free for our residents in our shelter and aftercare facilities.

Moreover, the classes and structure at Wayside Cross and just having something to look forward to were a welcome change from prison life. “They also get you up right away and put you to work somewhere in the ministry. So it’s not just getting something you want like a free meal or safe place to stay. It’s also about giving back and in some way by serving others.” The idea that he had anything to offer anyone took Clyde some getting used to.

But for the first time in his life, Clyde found a job – working here in our warehouse. He began to hope and to create relationships with his kids and grandkids after he graduated from our Master’s Touch men’s recovery program. In addition, he was eager to share his faith with others. “I finally started having something other people really wanted.

“At Wayside, I’ve been transformed. They showed me how to believe, trust, and follow God. They really saved my life….

“Today, I’m not walking by myself anymore…. I have Jesus with me! And I’ll tell you what, as long as God has His hand on my shoulder, I’m good.”

With Jesus’ love in his heart and hope for the future, Clyde is grateful for all the support he has received. “I tell people who come in here that have tried everything else, ‘Try Jesus. Just try Him. He just may surprise you. If you don’t like what He has to offer you, your misery can be refunded absolutely free!’”

Looking back over the many years and mistakes of trying to live life on his own terms, Clyde now understands what it truly means to come before the throne room of God. He has been to the Mercy Seat and found God has enough grace for anyone, even for someone as lost as he was.

“The bottom line, Wayside Cross Ministries works. They helped me, when they didn’t have to.”

When people ask him about Wayside or helping the needy, he always says, “Support this program, ’cause when you support it, the program supports everybody. It doesn’t pick and choose who it gets to support. Mercy doesn’t get to pick and choose who it feeds. It feeds anybody that’s hungry, clothes anybody who needs shoes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised none if I were to go over to that warehouse today and see somebody walking in off the street—ain’t had a bath in two or three months, needing soap and deodorant. And they’ll fix them a bag, give them clothes, give them shoes….

I tell you what… that’s real compassion.”

Now, Clyde is a Wayside employee. It’s an accomplishment he made in just two short years after he graduated. Why, you ask?

“I’m 65 years old. Looking back over my life, I never dreamed I would ever work, let alone at a ministry like this. You kiddin?”

If you could find it in the dictionary, Clyde would be the face of what pure gratitude looks like. He has an infectious smile and the rare ability to inspire volunteers and youth teams that come out to serve each week. 

Even more, Clyde always makes time for a struggling brother who is working his way through the program. But that’s not all. In his spare time every weekend after working in Wayside’s donation warehouse, he umpires baseball games in our Urban Youth Ministry’s afterschool programs for at-risk youth. And when he isn’t doing any of those things, you’ll find him reading a Bible.

These days he is head of our maintenance department. Looking back, he’s overcome with emotion.

“You need to know I never held a job or worked a real day’s work. But I received my first paycheck ever, from Wayside Cross Ministries. Imagine that. I never worked an honest day in my life before. I was a taker. That’s why I ended up serving over 30 years for all the mistakes I made. Wayside taught me how to give. That I still had value–something to offer.”

“This is what my mother prayed for all these years… that I would find Jesus and get my life together.

“She never really got to see it, but this is what she prayed for.

“So I can tell you for certain, if you pray, God hears you.”

THANK YOU FOR GIVING CLYDE A NEW BEGINNING.
Your prayers for him and hundreds of others make all the difference.
Because of you, he has joy in his heart this Easter!

Helpful Tips For Parents

How To Reach Your Prodigal

• Reject parental guilt. Realize you didn’t single-handedly lead your child away from God.
• Stop chasing them. It’s easy to make it your personal mission to steer your child back to God. Trust in
  the Holy Spirit.
• Build a bridge. Communicate unconditional love.
• Cover them in prayer. This is the most important point.

Wayside Cross provides free support for prodigals and their parents. Speak with a Chaplain or Resident Coordinator.

If you know someone in need of a place to recover and rebuild their lives call Wayside Cross Ministries’ Master’s Touch for Men or Lifespring Center for Women at (630) 892-4239.  People who liked this Story of Hope, also enjoy reading about  Chandler’s experience too.