Have ever been a witness to someones life that you just knew was going to end up bad? It could be someone in the public eye, a neighbor, coworker, or just someone you knew of. But you could tell if they continued the lifestyle they were living it would lead to one of three results: 1) prison, 2) death, or 3) both. I was witness to one such young man recently. I didn’t know him. He was the neighbor of a family member that I visit regularly (I visit the family member, not the neighbor). Ever since this young man and his family moved in it has been clear that he was headed in a bad direction. Numerous visits in the middle of the night from the police. I would watch him and his buddies getting drunk on their porch and raising all sorts of hell: loud music, arguments, fights, cars squealing tires in the middle of the night. I knew from a friend of mine who happens to be on the police force in this town I’m speaking of, that this fellow was no stranger to them. Auto theft, drugs, simple battery were among some of his hobbies. This kind of life was only going to lead to bad unless something drastically changed.
Today I watched as the medical examiner wheeled him out in a body bag. I don’t know how he died, but I have a good suspicion. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young man and his family as they watched him being loaded up into a van. I began to pray. Then a since of real shame came over me. Why had I never thought to pray for this young man before today? I knew that if something didn’t change this could happen. I talked about it before with my wife. “He’s going to end up in prison or dead soon” I would say. I would even tell my family member, “Once he goes to prison you won’t have to put up with this crap anymore (referring to the loud drunken parties on the porch).” But even so, it never occurred to me to pray for him until today. Why? I say all the time that no one is so bad that they’re out of God’s reach. There are examples all over the bible. The Apostle Paul himself was a great persecutor of the early church and Christians. I am ashamed of myself today.
