[su_dropcap style=”flat”]R[/su_dropcap]ECENTLY, while filling in at the church for our secretary who is away in Australia, visiting her mom of 82 years, as she is going through treatment, I responded to the bell of our churches front door.
Within minutes, I recognized the woman rushing by me as one of our parishioners and I could see in her eyes, (eyes of crystal blue), a blend of redness due to recent tears. She paused and I just reached over and hugged her as she blurted out that she might have to call 911 for her mom.
I could see she was flustered so I directed her to the little office I was working in and we began to talk. She spoke of how she loves her mom, who lives alone in Florida, but that she is an alcoholic, having over the years been sent to the best rehab facilities there are. So many times her mom said she is done with the alcohol, but then, in creeps the lack of will power. Although there have been these 12 step programs, her mom is not spiritual, doesn’t want to hear about God and doesn’t want to know about God, most importantly, is not interested in getting sober.
Now I understand the importance of not pushing God on anyone, as they have to want that door open to know HIM, but one has asked me many times, where is God in all of this. God is there, He does care, and He see’s what is going on, but He can’t force one to put away the vices that seem to control their lives.
As we spoke, I shared with her my own experience with this dreaded disease. My own mother who died when I was 13, at the age of 42, was too young, and she had not lived a day where I think she was happy. The beatings I encountered as a child due to the rage that this disease instilled within the mind, was forever embedded in my memory, however, I learned to forgive due to the understanding that my mother was sick.
This is also what this woman who sat in front of me acknowledged that her mother is sick, and doesn’t seek help nor does she seem to want it.
When I lost my sister to cancer, I never understood that after her diagnoses and then treatment that she continued to smoke! None of it made sense, but I understand lack of will power and the sadness of addiction. I lost my mom and sister to their own devices, way too young.
Suddenly the woman in front of me received a phone call, more than likely from Florida, regarding her mom, and up and out she went. I wish with all my heart I could gather people that are hurting, that are destroying themselves through addictions and pour the Holy Spirit all over their bodies, free them from this demonic poison that engulfs them. But I can’t, however I can give support to those who watch their loved ones slowly die.
That evening, I sent a beautiful message to this woman, letting her know that I would pray for her mom, and her, and that I understood this pain, so should she ever want to talk, I’d be here for her. Not because I am better a person, but because I understand having shared this experience in my young life, that sometimes we have to re-visit that bad memory to help someone else.
I write my Articles under Life, Culture, Learning, but I share this too with the Corporates, Leaderships, Business, Management, writer’s etc. We have such great writers of faith and intellect in our midst of fellow Columnists, and we can learn so much from them. Recently a post written by Jane Anderson and Devaney Rae shares the human heartfelt love that lies within all of us I believe.
The very next day, this woman called to thank me for the thoughtfulness of being there at that moment, and that they had called 911, putting her mother once again in rehab hoping that this time, it will take.
Our lives can be colorful or they can be dark, whatever we choose. One day when I was feeling a little low, I decided to paint in color, somewhat of an abstract, and sharing this colorful picture with this woman brightened the moment for her. Getting lost in color can sooth the heart, letting you use your imagination, and so she did.
Dear Lynn, I learned from my much-too long of a career in law enforcement that in the majority of situations that you just can’t protect people from themselves. All you can do is to minister the best you can to their loved ones who suffer the most. When people don’t have God in their lives, they will try to fill this void with something else. This “something else” or “more” they search for will always remain elusive to them unless they truly find God and make Him the focus of their lives.
Keep up the good fight Lynn through constant prayer and petition for these lost souls and for their loved ones!