When I started attending Narcotics Anonymous

I'll never forget the phone call. The trembling voice of a mother of two of the students from my church spoke from the other end of the connection telling me that her kids, Tyler and Allison, had just been arrested for felony drug trafficking and possession of heroine. After several long days of investigation, tears, disappointment, and prayer, the truth was coming out. Tyler and Allison were heroine addicts. They had begun using the drug on a whim at a local party, and they started selling and distributing the drug for local dealers to pay for their new addiction. Needless to say, this family and everyone that knew and loved them were devastated.

The months that followed were tense and agonizing...First came the trial. Next was the sentencing. Then the carrying out of the sentencing. It was ugly. But when Tyler and Allison had completed their time in the local Juvenile Detention Center, they were released to their parents with one court-ordered requirement, mandatory attendance with a local chapter of Narcotics Anonymous. That's when the second phone call came. Tyler and Allison's parents were both working 2 jobs to peck away at the lingering financial burden of old rehab and legal fees, and they simply couldn't get their children to the N.A. meetings. I remember her tears as Tyler and Allison's mom explained that missing work meant foreclosure on their house...And then she asked, "Pastor Mark, would you pray about taking my kids to those meetings?" Long story short, that's when I started attending Narcotics Anonymous.

I took Tyler and Allison every week until there parents were finally able to do it. That was five years ago. Fast forward to this morning...

This morning I received an email from Allison. She wanted to catch up and update me on her and her brother. They're both a month away from receiving their Bachelor's Degrees. They're both actively involved in their local church serving as volunteers in their student ministry. And...thanks be to Jesus...just yesterday they both received their "5 year" pin. That's right...as of yesterday, they've been sober for 5 years! I couldn't hold back my tears as I read these sentences:

"Mark, when no one else loved me, you showed me Jesus, the love of my life, and, when no one else was available, you made the time to get me the treatment that I so desperately needed. Those were the most difficult months of my sobriety, and my gratitude for your sacrifice is beyond measure."

I'm sharing this with you today because this email has been a HUGE reminder to me about what amazing grace is all about...a HUGE reminder to me about what Jesus meant when He instructed us to love God and love our neighbor. You see, I believe that the love of Christ as it is expressed through the words and deeds of ordinary folks like you and me is something that the Holy Spirit uses to give the devil his greatest defeats. Which begs the question...who are you loving for Jesus? Who among the broken, tired, needy, unlovely, addicted, depressed, and jaded in your network are you singling out as a "love project" for the purpose of seeing the Kingdom of God come in their life? Allison said that my small investment of two-and-a-half hours per week made all of the difference for her and Tyler for all eternity. Will you make that investment today?