Welcome back to Rising 365. This is episode 2, The Good Factor.
You know, knowing that rising each day is a struggle for so many is what encouraged me to bring you this podcast.
Rising 365 is all about helping others rise 365 days a year, not in a begrudging way, but in a way that is fulfilling.
For me to begin Rising 365, I had to find what I started calling the good factor.
You see, for so long, even as a child, I was unable to see anything good possibly happening in the day to come.
As a kid, my siblings and I were left alone a lot.
I'm the middle child, but my older brother has special needs and I have a younger sister, so in reality, I'm the oldest.
We weren't left alone because we had neglectful parents. Well, my dad is neglectful, but my mom was doing what all hard-working single moms do.
And that was working to provide for us, and she's still doing that to this day, which I can't explain how proud of my mom I am for all the hard work she did to take care of my brother and sister and I.
But I still didn't see anything good or exciting or had anything to look forward to in order for me to rise.
I knew I was going to have to work and take care of others.
Fast forward to me joining the US Coast Guard.
Now, for these 10 years, I had something to rise for.
I loved being in the Coast Guard, having opportunities to answer the call to go and help those in need or to stop drugs from coming into the US.
Man, that really gave me a reason to rise.
But after 10 years, all that came to an end.
Now, I find myself no longer surrounded by vast beauty of ocean, but endless miles of farm fields.
At first, getting up was easy, but six months later, no longer wearing a uniform, I find myself with zero motivation to rise up and meet the new day.
So I would just stay in bed.
This led to a deep slide into sadness and depression.
I couldn't see anything worth getting up for since I no longer saw a reason to bring anything good to get up for.
That's when I realized I was stuck.
I was stuck in what I once did.
And I had no longer looked at my life with excitement or with reason.
Since I no longer had what I once had, I had to find something else to get up for.
That is when God used His word to open my eyes to the reality of a new day.
And that was the verse Psalm 118, 24.
And it's just a reminder that each day is a rich and precious gift from God with new grace and new opportunities.
And it says this, this is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be gladdened.
After having God open my heart to this truth is when I started looking for the good factor of the new day.
This is not always some monumental thing, but can be the smallest of things that get you to rise from the freshly brewed cup of coffee,
breathtaking sunrise, a good book waiting for you to turn its pages, the smile of friends and family awaiting you.
Anything can be the good factor.
These things don't have to be something burdensome, something big.
There is always the good factor waiting you to help you rise.
So find that.
Let that inspire you to rise 365.
If you find yourself struggling and having trouble finding the good factor in your life,
let me encourage you to go get professional help and see a counselor.
You see, they're specially trained to help us find the smallest things in our life that can be the good factor.
Don't be embarrassed.
They're there to help you.
Because without the good factor, man, getting up and rising is very, very tough.
Well, that's episode two.
Thanks for pressing play.
I look forward to you finding encouragement each episode to rise each new day you are given to support this podcast.
You can do that by booking me as a speaker for your upcoming conference, school assemblies, youth group, Bible studies,
or any other special event where I can bring this encouragement of being able to rise 365.
Do that to shoot me a message or email at rising247365 at gmail.com.
Until next time, I'm Mike Pina, encouraging you to rise and meet the gift of a new day for you are meant for this moment.