Divergent Paths...

I got a call Monday night from an old friend.  He was the first guy I got to know at the boy's home where I volunteered back in 2001.  One night, while I was there, I had to go into the city (a couple of hours away) to get some gear.  My friend came with me to help me get back.  He later told me that he was planning on going back to the streets that night.  But then he looked at me and knew that if he left I'd never find my way home.  =)  So he stayed.

Since those early years he's been on and off the streets many times.  This time though, it's been a couple of years since he last left.  He's in his mid twenties and with each year it get's harder to imagine him leaving.

When I heard his voice I figured something was wrong.  I hadn't heard from him for awhile.  He told me he was sick and needed to go to a hospital.  He'd been vomiting for a couple of days and his whole body hurt.  I made arrangements to meet him in a nearby park and then called Jimmy (who was nearby) to come help us.

Jimmy and I waited for a half hour or so, before my friend showed up.  When I saw him I hardly recognized him.  I've seen him skinny before (he's never been very big), but nothing like that night.  I'm not sure I'd have known it was him if I'd just seen him passing by. 

I knew right away that he was back on drugs.  Sometimes when I've seen him over the years, he's looked okay.  Relatively clean and healthy.  But other times I could immediately see what's going on.  That the drugs have taken over again.

We headed over to the hospital downtown that's near the plaza.  It's a "free" hospital so you don't pay for your consultation.  I say "free" because if you need any medication or anything really (a bandaid) you have to go buy that yourself. 

That hospital has a bit of a warzone fee to it.  Because it's free, it's where everyone goes who can't afford anything better.  It gets a bit over run, especially at night.  As a result, the staff aren't very patient or compassionate.  It all combines to make the place feel very discouraging and desolate.  There was just a thin, eight foot high wooden wall separating us from the people in the emergency rooms.  The entire time we were there we could hear people wailing and crying.  One fellow especially seemed like he was suffering.  I'm sure he was coming off of something, but the whole time he was moaning and crying out for help. 

There's a serious flu epidemic right now in the city (the universities have been shut down for the past week and everyone is wearing face masks) and because my friend was symptomatic of that flu, he was rushed right in. 

Jimmy and I were then given the list of what we needed to buy (IV bags, tubes, needles, medicine, etc...), so we went hunting for a pharmacy.  The hospital pharmacy was closed so we walked down the street a bit.  Since people have to buy their own medical supplies there are lots of pharmacies around every hospital and clinic.  Not to mention coffin stores...but that's another topic. 

We found what we needed, gave it to the doctor on duty and settled in to wait.  It ended up being five hours.  Fortunately I had a book and Jimmy had lots of games on his phone (okay...my phone).  Eventually our name was called and we went and got our friend and walked him out to the truck. 

He looked much better which was great.  He was more relaxed and himself.  I felt releaved for that.  But then I asked him where he wanted to go and he asked me to drop him off downtown near the plaza.  So at midnight we stopped on a corner and he hopped out of the truck, said goodbye and left.  My heart felt very heavy.

I imagine some of you are asking why we didn't take him home or find some place for him to sleep.  Well, we've been down that road before.  This young guy has been given opportunity after opportunity to leave the streets and every time he chooses to go back.  Until he decides he wants to leave, there's not much we can do.

As I drove home, I thought about everything that had happened.  I thought about the difference between that hospital we were just at and the hospital I usually go to.  How the hospital I go to is clean and efficient and everyone smiles at you.  I wondered what it would be like to not have health insurance or the money to go someplace you trusted. 

I thought about what a gifted guy my friend was.  His leadership skills....his musical ability.  How sad it was that he was wasting so much potential.

And finally, I thought about the contrast between my friend and the guys I work with.  All of them were friends for years at the boy's home...like brothers.  But they chose very different paths. 

I thought about where some of our guys might be if they didn't have our house and the support they've been given.  Some would be okay I'm sure, but I have no doubt that others would find themselves just where my young friend is.

It was a sobering thought and a good reminder why I'm here.  And it made me glad that God has provided this place for us. 

Please pray for my friend.  It's certainly not over for him, but his choices are pulling him deeper and deeper into an incredibly destructive lifestyle.  At this point t's going to take a miracle from God for him to be free.