The Good Book

Christian didn't always walk with Jesus. Once upon a time he was a just a kind-hearted, tall, chubby teen with family issues. School didn't come easily to Christian either. Other than his natural charm he had nothing going for him.

During the summer after my Sophomore year of college, I worked as a Residential Counselor at a camp for teens. That's where I met Christian. He was incredibly lazy. This was especially troubling given that this was an academic enrichment camp. Christian slept through most of the classes and completed a handful of homework assignments. Despite his aversion to school work, and unwillingness to stay awake through anything oriented around academics, the counselors liked Christian. He was the prototypical good misfit.

Christian dropped out of the program after that summer. It wasn't for him. Eventually he was transitioned from his mainstream high school to the alternative one in town. Things were going in the wrong direction for Christian. With the help of new friends, Christian turned to alcohol to solve his problems until a moment of clarity came about one night.

I hadn't seen Christian in roughly five years when we reconnected in my office. A lot had changed since I law saw him. The first obvious change was his weight. He wasn't chubby anymore. Christian had matured into a lean, olive-complexioned, father of three.  He was also unhappily married. Part of the reason Christian was at the college looking to change his career from an Emergency Medical Technician to a Youth Counselor was because of some drama with his wife. The bigger story, however, was Christian's transformation.

Me: Man, you've changed. Wow. I remember when you were sleeping in the back of class way back when. Look at you now!
Christain: God is good, man. Anything can happen through Christ. My life has been different since I found him.
Me: It looks like it. How'd you find Christ?
Christian: Long story, man. I don't know if  you knew but I had some family issues growing up. I basically grew up on my own. My father wasn't around and my mom wasn't there for me. All I did was work since I was like 14. School was whatever. You remember.
Me: Of course!
Christian: So I started chillin with the wrong people, doing stupid stuff until one night everything changed.
Me: What happened?
Christian: I was waiting for one of my boys so we could drink and he never showed up. I was callin other people to go out but nobody wanted to do anything. I was mad and stuff. I felt like I was alone so I started drinking by myself. While I was drinking I started thinking about how lonely I was. Nobody cared for me. Me and my sister was fighting. My mother wasn't there for me. I started crying like crazy then I got in the car.
Me: You were driving drunk?
Christian: Yeh. I was driving around then I got on the highway. When I got on the highway I started driving really fast, like really really fast. Then I heard a voice telling me to cut the wheel, like jerk it. The voice said do it and nothing would happen. I tried to ignore it, but the voice kept telling me to do it so I called my mom while I was crying and told her. She started praying with me on the phone then I got off the highway.
Me: That's when you found God?
Christian: It happened a little later. I was sitting by myself in the car outside of Jillian's and all of a sudden I felt this peace come over me. Since then, I've been walking with God. My life's totally different now. 

(To be continued)