so grateful

before the word recession became popular, I hit a place in life where, by entirely my own doing, my choices left me in a very bad spot.

Last year I was instrumental in getting a homeless man back to his family. I wrote about the experience, of a man I called Calvin.

This last week Calvin’s family had to make a terrible choice, which led to him being put back on a train bound for Cape Town. His crime? That he didn’t give up drinking and associating with the lowness of the people of the street.

They have done him amazingly well, he’s been nursed thru two major operations, he’s fatter and, in his words, he’s so sick of steak.

Yet in all their well meaning intent, to give a known alcoholic three beers before dinner every night just because “every one else enjoys a shot or two, and what can you do?”, has surely got to rate as the dumbest, short sightedness ever.

Yesterday I got a call from Calvin, “Can he come stay with me until he gets himself on his feet? He has three certificates in security that some benevolent but misguided soul bought for him, he cheerfully informed me. No I didn’t do the courses, but, bloody hell, I’ve done security before so I can get by.”

I have a built in stupidity, that I want to leap into heroic scenarios to pull people away from those very necessary times in life when they get to have to face the consequence of their choices.

I had a day of inner turmoil. His choices had led to him being turned out of his family’s home, so taking him into mine was not likely to change that. I was advised not to because removing him if or when he refused to look for or hold down a job could prove to be problematic.

Another friend offered the wisdom that saying what should be done took no courage, but facing what had to be done would take great courage.

Reality is that Calvin has no will to turn away, even if it means up, from the down and out world of the street. He is there by choice. He seeks only to manipulate the next person to get what it takes. That the best thing I could do for him was to turn away took courage indeed. Everything in me cried out Christian obligation, compassion, how would you feel if it was you?

Yet they’re right, all the advisors of the day. No amount of Father Christmas is going to give a man his dignity back if he refuses to pick it up himself.

Calvin is somewhere out there, in the unrelenting world of Cape Town in winter. Yes, it would appear to be noble to reach in and pull him out once more.

There are many in need in these times. Many good people who have every intent in the world to lift themselves up, but right now they just need a little help. For me I need to focus my efforts on those who are willing to try.

This exercise has been a revelation to me. It has made me so aware of where I could have ended up had I too refused the help and restrictions imposed on me by those who reached down and pulled me out of the mire I had put myself into.

I sent this sms to my sister today:

I kno u did what you did for me cos I’m family & u didn’t get choice, but I want to tell u how very grateful I am. U give me insight into wot God does for those who are not worthy even of rescue, yet get so much more than rescue, like I got from my sister.

Colossians 4.5
Live wisely among those who are not believers.