Finding Freedom in the Fire | How Pastor Rick Pringle Turned Pain into Purpose
Share
Finding Freedom in the Fire
There’s something sacred about the moments that break you.
Because if you’re paying attention, those are the same moments that build you.
This week on The Free Your Mind Podcast, I sat down on the Freedom Couch with my longtime friend, Pastor Rick Pringle — and let me tell you, this one wasn’t light. It wasn’t cute. It was real.
Rick shared his truth about a season that took him from the pulpit to a prison cell — a story filled with betrayal, heartbreak, and a kind of public pain most of us can’t imagine. But what stood out most wasn’t the hardship; it was the transformation that followed.
As Rick said, “The best day of my life was the day I got delivered from the opinions of people.”
And from that moment on, his definition of freedom changed forever.
Freedom Looks Like Peace
When I asked Rick what freedom looked like to him, his answer was simple:
“Freedom looks like peace — peace without caring what anybody thinks.”
That hit deep.
Because how often do we equate freedom with success, status, or validation?
But real freedom — the kind that sustains you — starts when you stop living for applause and start living for alignment.
Rick’s story isn’t just about surviving a storm. It’s about choosing peace even when chaos surrounds you. It’s about choosing stillness when the world expects you to fight back.
When God Puts You in the Middle of the Storm
In the episode, Rick talked about his 62 days behind bars......... 62 days stripped of everything but faith.
And even in that cell, he said, “God told me, I got you.”
While most people would crumble, Rick listened. He turned confinement into communion.
He wrote messages. He prayed. He found purpose in the pain.
He told me, “You can’t say you trust God and still be worried. You can’t pray and panic at the same time.”
Whew. That part.
How often do we claim to trust, but still try to control?
How often do we ask for deliverance, but refuse to let go of the wheel?
Sometimes, clarity doesn’t come until you stop wrestling and start resting — until you stop asking “Why me?” and start asking “What’s this teaching me?”
Purpose in the Process
What moved me most about Rick’s story wasn’t the pain. It was the purpose that came after.
While locked up, he received 51 messages .....divine downloads that would later shape the next chapter of his ministry. And when he got out, God showed him the “why.”
Rick’s church sits four blocks away from the D.C. jail.
Let that sink in.
The same place that broke him was the place God was preparing him to serve.
That’s what divine alignment looks like.
Rick said, “He used the trap that was set for me to get me ready for what’s next.”
And that’s the lesson:
Sometimes, the storm is the setup.
The pain is the qualification.
And the test is the testimony.
What to Do When You’re in the Dark
Rick’s story reminded me of something I shared during our Freedom Fridays — that life is like driving through the Baltimore tunnel.
When you enter, it’s dark.
You can’t see the light, but you keep driving because you know it’s there.
That’s faith.
Eventually, you see a flicker — that little shimmer of hope that reminds you, you’re almost through.
And when you come out on the other side, the light hits different.
The darkness feels smaller.
You realize it wasn’t forever — it was a moment that made you stronger.
That’s how growth works. That’s how healing works.
If you’re in your tunnel right now, keep driving.
The light’s not gone — it’s just ahead.
💫 The Freedom Shift
By the end of our conversation, Rick said something that perfectly wrapped the entire message:
“You have to value you're going through.”
Because every test teaches you something about yourself.
Every loss shows you what still matters.
And every dark season reminds you — you can’t find faith in the light. You find it in the dark.
That’s the shift we’re on this week, Free Mind Family.
Freedom isn’t just a destination. It’s a decision — to keep showing up, to keep moving, and to keep trusting even when nothing makes sense.
So, if you’re in your “tunnel” season…
If life feels like it’s heavy and uncertain…
Let this be your reminder:
✨ You are not stuck.
✨ You are being shaped.
✨ And clarity always comes after the chaos.
Keep moving through.
Keep believing.
Keep freeing your mind.