I have some friends. I call them that because I embrace them as such. I started trying to help them not so long ago through a random encounter. From a church standpoint, there are always people who need some intervention. Mostly its provided with small monitary gift and send them on their way. After all, that's the only ting we can do for most. But then there are some that you feel perhaps God wants you to take an extra step toward. So you do, And these two are considered friends.
Both of my new friends have tainted pasts. It's hard to even dream of being in their position. The system doesn't seem fair and I even prayed once that God would just "give them a leg up". I was sucked into their story, and the more it unfolded I discovered just layer upon layer of unimagineable circumstances. I can only speculate that amount of hurt, rejection, heartbreak, and dissapointment that defines their life. And then it's even harder to help. We, like anyone else have limited resources. The church has limited resources. And when you try and help someone, you want to maximize what you have..you know, to really help them. We did everything we could think of to do. We drove them around to find jobs, wrtiing letters to the courts to prove their efforts to clean up, and of course some money for lodging. There was even a couple that gave them some groceries. They were embraced inside our fellowship for a short time. You always hope its enough and that you have done what you can do. God gives you confirmation that you have. In this particular situation, I even saw God perform a miracle. And they were doing quite well.
Then as it often works out, when "help" begins to fade and you begin to sit back and see how well people can stand. This is the part where you feel there was an endless resource, or that you could just quit your job and make this circumstance a full-time project. And over this time, we saw these people fade. They started showing up less and even calling less. They popped up about a month after the help faded and we helped them again. We assured them of our love and concern. I even tried to make contact with them in the dead space but to no avail.
But today, they popped up again. In the midst of trying to get their life straight they had both relapsed twice in one specific arena of struggle. Or at least that is all they have admitted...and that only on confrontation. The call today was disturbing and I knew at once it was another relapse. They were stranded, possibly on site or close to the area their habit returns them to. I was faced with the opportunity to "help" one more time. I didn't, well, not in the way requested.
I could go into all the reasons why but I won't. The fact that I didn't help brings all sorts of questions because just logistically I could have. But this time, as sure as I felt God tell me go further the first time, i felt Him say no this one. That seemed so harsh and so out of character. This almost comes across as rejection. I receieved some other calls close together and I decided that I would speak the only truth I could. I did. And I was cut off.
Only God can help them now, but in reality, He was the only one that could ever really help in the first place. Sometimes it's easy for us to try and be the hero. And i find that there is such a thin line in good Christian action and playing the Holy Spriit. I said earlier that the church has a lack of resources. And we do in from a carnal standpoint. But spiritually speaking we have the only endless supply in all of Heaven and earth. Our prayers can do more than "pick up the slack". I hope they find what they need most. I pray that they see what they need most. In all of their future requests for help, no matter to whom they are directed, I pray that the greater need chines through.
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