10:35 p.m. - Wednesday, Feb. 09, 2005
You Are Dust and to Dust You Shall Return
"Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you shall return."
These words were spoken over me as I received a mark of ash on my forehead tonight. It is the season of lent, and my friend Isaiah is going to give up alcohol.
I met Isaiah this past year at Fourth Street Park. He doesn't have a home, and since I met him, I've seen him in various states of mind. In the beginning, he was usually pretty clear, but as the months went on I began to see him get pretty messed up.
To most people, Isaiah is just a drunk. The dirty guy who begs change and blows it on booze. But you can never really know the depth of a person's pain, or what has brought them to place in which you see them. Last Thanksgiving, I was able to talk with Isaiah. He hadn't been drinking, so he was clear-minded. I saw a depth in his eyes I did not expect to see. I saw the struggle of a man who wanted to be who he was before alcoholism. I saw a man who was dying to hear his little boy's voice, but was afraid of what his son would say. And I saw a man on top of the world when he finally worked up the nerve to call.
It was this man who finally gained a small victory today. He went to a recovery center and has begun the process of letting go of his addiction. He has turned from the darkness, and is walking into the Light.
Please pray for Isaiah. He is stumbling toward his goal, but he is headed toward it nonetheless. What more can anyone ask?
God, grant me the courage of your servant Isaiah. Let me remember what I am, and that only you can make these ashes live.
"Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the gospel."
amen.
