But, It wasn't a suprise

6/14/2011

                Dale is a fifty year old man who has been an alcoholic for most of those fifty years.  About seven months ago he checked into the Salvation Army rehab center with his friend Gary.  Dale was dedicated and seemingly determined to get sober and change his life.  He had life plans, he visited the Pink House on his weekends off and he was headed in a great direction.  Gary on the other hand went along with his friend but got kicked out after not too much time when he failed a breathalyzer after his free time on one Saturday.  After about four months on a random Sunday Dale showed up at the Pink House during their Sunday bible study and he told George and Will he needed to talk to them.  They followed him outside and he explained that something came up and he was leaving the Salvation Army  and that they couldn’t stop him, but he wanted to tell them because he promised he would tell them if he was going to do anything..  He said something had happened and they would understand but he wouldn’t explain until the next day.  They tried to stop him anyways but he still left.  At first the dramatic explanation from dale made George and Will think something might be seriously wrong, but it turned out he just wanted to get drunk.  But it wasn’t a surprise.  For a while Dale and Gary moved into the woods and lived in a tent in a homeless community.  After a while they came back to the Timothy Initiative and have been staying at the pink house for the last two months, and they have had work, food, and shelter. 

Last night Dale left.  He woke up Gary, told him, “I’m outta here” and he went back to the woods.  But it wasn’t a surprise, in fact George literally told me it would happen during the day yesterday.  The last couple weeks Dale and Gary have been relapsing a little with their alcoholism, so yesterday during the morning devotion George talked about choosing to be accountable and the importance of making the effort to be a part of community and to get sober.  Afterwards on our way to home depot to pick up some supplies he told me that he expected that the two guys would either feel convicted and try to make a change or just walk away.  When I asked George a little about how he knew, he explained to me what happens when a person goes past “the point of no return,” or in other words they get to the lowest place possible and are headed down a road to death.  He explained that when you are not afraid of living in the woods when you have been there before it is a lot easier to just go back to that than to try and get sober.  Beyond this it takes a truly repentant heart for any addiction therapy to really work.  It is not enough to give housing, food, etc...  If God’s spirit is not in it and if a person is not truly at a place where they want to get well eventually it will fail.  No person will stay no matter how much freedom you give them to do whatever they want.    

Please be praying for Dale.  I believe God’s Will will be done, but I believe that by thinking about and praying for Dale you can remember the poor and especially those who most of the time we don’t even think exist...  the overlooked, the invisible.

Pray also for Gary.  Before He and Dale checked into the Salvation Army rehab they were living in the woods in a tent.  A year ago he got beaten nearly to death by some of the other homeless men in the woods (I can’t stress how badly).  Dale came to get help and after he had two brain surgeries he thankfully survived.  It was just last week that they were in court trying to seek justice for his viscous beating.  Nothing came of it.  But, it wasn’t a surprise.  Unfortunately justice is far less available for the poor.  There is no one on their side.  And honestly I feel like this isn’t a surprise...  The next couple days and weeks are going to be very hard for Gary.  George explained that the temptation to leave when your closest person leaves is greatly magnified, and that it won’t be a surprise if Gary chooses to leave.

~Kyle