Chapter 14
We both see him.
New. Fresh out of detox.
Skin head. Full sleeves of tattoos. Combat boots. Black Harley shirt. Scowl
Cozmo and I just look at each other and smile. Perfect.
Hey man how you doing?
I really expected anger to come spewing forth. I expected a FUCK YOU! I expected an evil eye. Something.
What I got was what I expected least.
Shy.
My name is Steve and this is Bryce.
Eric...
We want to pray with you.
Wow did this take him completely off guard. So much so that he put his hands in his pockets and put his head down.
He looked at us through the top of his eye lids, eyes darting back and forth between Cozmo and I.
and then he just said "Ok".
We each put a hand on one of his shoulders and we prayed.
We asked God for the same things we had just prayed for out in the courtyard.
Peace and freedom. Sobriety.
I could feel the tension in his shoulders release. I could feel him relaxing.
We prayed.
Amen.
He looked at both of us and just said thanks and he walked away.
That's how it all started.
It wasn't that we thought we were some sort of spiritual kingpins or thought we were better. It was actually far from it. When God reaches you there is just a place inside you that just wants to grow and branch out to others. That is just the way He designed us.
When you live in darkness for so long a touch of Light is the most beautiful thing in the world.
Hope.
*********************************
By the time we get to dinner that night we have prayed with quite a few people. Standing in line for dinner before the prayer is said I feel a tap on my arm. I turn around and see a cute little old lady, the little old lady that I saw in the Detox wing screaming at her children. She looked different.
I heard you sing in a Christian band.
We broke up but, yeah, I did for a number of years.
Would you sing "Amazing Grace" for me before supper?
So I did.
I sang for all of us. Especially for her.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
was blind but now I see
That's all I could do. Short and sweet. Enough to bring some tears of hope to a little old lady in rehab.
Its never too late.
The hour I first believed...
New. Fresh out of detox.
Skin head. Full sleeves of tattoos. Combat boots. Black Harley shirt. Scowl
Cozmo and I just look at each other and smile. Perfect.
Hey man how you doing?
I really expected anger to come spewing forth. I expected a FUCK YOU! I expected an evil eye. Something.
What I got was what I expected least.
Shy.
My name is Steve and this is Bryce.
Eric...
We want to pray with you.
Wow did this take him completely off guard. So much so that he put his hands in his pockets and put his head down.
He looked at us through the top of his eye lids, eyes darting back and forth between Cozmo and I.
and then he just said "Ok".
We each put a hand on one of his shoulders and we prayed.
We asked God for the same things we had just prayed for out in the courtyard.
Peace and freedom. Sobriety.
I could feel the tension in his shoulders release. I could feel him relaxing.
We prayed.
Amen.
He looked at both of us and just said thanks and he walked away.
That's how it all started.
It wasn't that we thought we were some sort of spiritual kingpins or thought we were better. It was actually far from it. When God reaches you there is just a place inside you that just wants to grow and branch out to others. That is just the way He designed us.
When you live in darkness for so long a touch of Light is the most beautiful thing in the world.
Hope.
*********************************
By the time we get to dinner that night we have prayed with quite a few people. Standing in line for dinner before the prayer is said I feel a tap on my arm. I turn around and see a cute little old lady, the little old lady that I saw in the Detox wing screaming at her children. She looked different.
I heard you sing in a Christian band.
We broke up but, yeah, I did for a number of years.
Would you sing "Amazing Grace" for me before supper?
So I did.
I sang for all of us. Especially for her.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
was blind but now I see
That's all I could do. Short and sweet. Enough to bring some tears of hope to a little old lady in rehab.
Its never too late.
The hour I first believed...
posted by steve at 2:19 PM
8 Comments:
Steve. Brother, I have just finished reading all of your story and I am really touched by this. I am crying. I feel the pain, the anger, the shame...and I understand. I never spent time in a detox, but I have spent time with alcohol. I have been sober with the help of Jesus for 10 years now.
May God bless you as you tell your story and help others, and may His blessing flow to them as well.
Amazing last few entries. I'm glad you have written them.
Wow. It's like I could really see the turning point of this post. The changes beginning to take place. Our God is an AWESOME God.
Ugh. Wow.
I just...well.. A. I'm crying.
B. I just led worship last night: all by myself Steve! I prayed out loud and everything! lol (I'm growing! Aren't you proud of me? lol) But one of the songs that I chose was "Amazing Grace". I.LOVE.THAT.SONG. So much so, that it's almost hard for me to stay composed as I lead others in worship with it. It embodies everything "God". It's just such a moving, amazing, powerful song. And this particular part of your story is what made me cry. Powerful.
And Steve: I just praise God for your recovery and for your story. So powerful. So heart-wrenching: so beautiful.
That's all I could do. Short and sweet. Enough to bring some tears of hope to a little old lady in rehab.
Its never too late.
The hour I first believed...
The little we bring to God, the small offering of faith, He uses in only the way He can, to change out hearts, to change other's hearts, and to reach deep within the hearts of fellow believers to remember that hour, that moment, those tears.
You are a tool of our Lord, and He is wielding you for His good works.
My chest is tight as I hold back sobs. I'm at work. Steve...thank you for writing this. You'll probably never really know.
"When God reaches you there is just a place inside you that just wants to grow and branch out to others. That is just the way He designed us."
Loved this.
Somone just walked into my cube, I had to hide the tears by acting like I had allergies. Tears of Joy.
God is good.
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