Sweet Freedom

The first thing you would notice about Charles is that he is missing most of three fingers on both of his 46 year old hands. I was wondering to myself if this was going to be a problem for him to keep his hands on the steering wheel during our test but Charles seemed to manage it just fine.

Charles is a black man who until recently has never driven legally because he always neglected to obtain the required driver's permit or license. Believe it or not I get someone around his age or older almost every day who has never had a license.

His father was a workaholic and successful businessman, now retired in Arkansas, who had owned 2 hotels in Chicago. Charles was a druggie and alcoholic who grew up in Benton Harbor, or Ben Harbor as the locals call it. He had been so for most of his adult years.

Charles tells me that one day he walked into a store in Ben Harbor to get some smokes and there was a guy giving a talk to a group of men in the back of the store and he heard the man say that if they didn't change the way they were living they were bound to die young. At this point in his life Charles felt that he was dying. It wasn't just the drugs and booze, it was also his lifestyle. If something was good, more was always better. He had always run around with the wrong crowd, men and women who were just like him, but now he felt his body wearing out.

The man giving the talk had a recovery home in Grand Rapids and told Charles that if he could make it, there would be a place for him. There was only one rule. He would have to totally swear off drugs and drink.

A few weeks later and not having any money at this point Charles goes into a Salvation Army store and explains his situation to the manager who believes he is sincere and has the store purchase a bus ticket to Grand Rapids for Charles. He gets to GR and is walking to the recovery home on a nice warm June day with 3 dollars in his pocket and on the way passes a liquor store.  Nothing at this point sounds better than a nice cold beer. But Charles remembers his pledge to cut off what is killing him and makes it to the home without stopping.

He had been there for 4 years and now 3 months on his own at the time I meet him. He goal is to be able to console others like him and help them have a better life.

Charles asks me if I have had any problem with drinking and my reply is that I use to drink a little many years ago and even did for a couple of years after becoming a believer at the age of 22.  My reason to stop drinking was that I like to try to be funny and one time after drinking I said something which later embarrassed me. I then felt the Holy Spirit saying, and this was for me personally, that it was not His will for me to be in a position where I was not responsible for what I was saying or doing.

"So you never had a drink after that?" asks Charles. I reply that I've had a few sips of champagne at wedding receptions but nothing more. "And how long has that been?" inquires Charles and my response is that it would now be 40 years. "Wow!" exclaims my new friend. "I can't believe you've been clean for 40 years!" I try to tell him that it's not like drinking was an addition or anything but my dear Charles keeps shaking his head. He asks me my name and then said; "I'm going to share that at our meeting tonight."

The test ends, Charles did well and passes and walks off to find the friend who loaned him the car for the test. Five minutes later he comes back with a white guy, same age, same look of hard years on his bearded face who walks up to me, extends his hand and asks; "Are you Bob? I want to shake the hand of a man who has been clean for 40 years!"

Initially this seemed pretty funny but then it dawned on me. For guys like Charles and his friend whose body chemistry's are addicted to what will ultimately kill them, every day is a challenge. They struggle so much more than I do to avoid bad company and to overcome life's setbacks and wrong turns by using the temporary painkillers of drugs and drink and sex. For them to actually meet someone who did not drink for 40 years was an inspiration. They were living day to day but I was hope that days could actually turn to years.

So I shake the friend's hand and smile, wish him merry Christmas and God bless and may the Lord be with him every day.

And may my gracious Lord be with you all as well this Christmas season.