I may have crossed a line today

[dolfan]

A client of mine is a drug addict who has been charged with a property crime. She picked up a similar new charge. While praying early this morning, she was on my mind. When she came in, we talked about her legal issues and got down to personal issues.

She started crying, which I've seen from lots of addicts - genuinely and manipulatively. She said she needed to turn her life over to God, she's at the end and can't do anything to stop herself. We talked about sin, judgment, wrath -- and she owned up to everything. "I can't do this anymore." I was very serious with her about what it means to stop, to really stop not just drugs but every other thing that has hold of her life. We talked about what it means to repent.

She said that even if she had to go back to jail, if she could "have God back in my life" she'd do it. I explained to her that this isn't about having God in your life, but about God having your life. It may mean that a lot of unpleasant painful things have to happen to turn your heart fully toward Christ. "I have to," she said.

I asked her, and she said yes, if she wanted to turn her life over to Christ right in my office. Was there anything keeping her from it? "Just myself", she said.

We prayed together, and she prayed to repent and receive Christ. I gave her some places to begin reading the Bible (told her to go get one -- wish I had one to have given her in my office but don't have one here). Gave her date/time info on the local Reformers Unanimous service this Friday night. Invited her to church with me and my wife Sunday morning. I had on a rubber wristband with our church website name on it and gave it to her.

I told her, "I've never done this with a client, and I may be crossing a line with you."

"You didn't cross anything. You just saved my life."

"He did, but you need to mean it and follow through."

She had a friend who waited outside my office. She called in her "only clean and sober friend", a very young woman, and told her, "I just got saved". They embraced. I guess I was feeling froggy and started in on the young friend, too. She told me she is a Christian. "Well, you come too. You can both sit with my wife and me."

Armed with some other information out the door concerning some legal stuff, and with the passages of Scripture and the promise to see me on Sunday, they left.

Pray for her, please. Pray that she'll get a bed in one of the 3 Christ-centered rehabs I gave her info about before the Court rules on a motion to revoke her bond for violating it with the new charge. That is coming, just a matter of time. But, if she gets a bed in rehab, we'll probably be able to get her a new bond conditioned on her being in that rehab. Pray that the Word will take hold in her heart and bear fruit for the long run.

[Shellie]

"Like" this post!

[dolfan]

This same lady called me today. She hadn't come to church with us after the invite and the occasion in my office that I posted about. But, she said today, "I'm in church! I'm going with my dad to rebuild our relationship!". Two weeks out, that and a couple of other things I can't share, pretty fine testimony. Thank you, Lord. Root her in the faith and love of God.

[Kenya]

Glad you were brave enough to cross the line and I wish more people were....that's the only way we're going to win this war against drugs. One person at a time.

[dolfan]

Hi, Kenya. Good to see you on here!! I saw this lady yesterday, and we're making some progress for her substance issues. Pray for her as you think of it!! I agree about the war on drugs --- it is a spiritual war, for sure.

[Kenya]

Your post caught my eye because God has given me a heart and ministry for addicts, recovering addicts and those hurts that lead to addictive behaviors.

We've been involved in this type of a ministry that has grown from 5 to 250 in just 3 years and that's a big part of the reason why we haven't been on Jude2 very much. It consumes our time - but is very worthwhile and rewarding.

God bless you.

[dolfan]

Wow. Us, too, Kenya -- the heart for it, that is.

My wife and I went to Rockford, IL in July to be trained on running a Reformers Unanimous ministry. We've planned a January/February 2012 kickoff for it, but just this week we've been talking with each other and with our pastor about moving it up by a month. People are almost crawling out of the woodwork it seems in response to our chatter about it. God is bringing people into our paths, and ours into theirs, who are addicts or closely related to addicts or who have been addicts in the past.

For example, in the last 2 weeks alone, I've had Spirit-arranged opportunities (if I can call them that) to share not only about this new ministry, but the actual gospel, with two different people who, by their own mouths, just said to me out of the clear blue "I need help". One of these people called me by mistake and wound up in church with us this past weekend. The other one is a client of mine (or, at least was until this week when we resolved her legal issue) who, after we finished in court said to me, "You know what? I really like you. I need to straighten out my life." She's a male-dressing lesbian in an active relationship and a past of addiction to prescription drugs. It took me about 1 second to say, "Well, I'm glad you said that because.....". We had a frank discussion about things, and I shared the gospel with her sitting in front of a judge's office in the courthouse. I also invited her to church. She told her sister, "I'll need Josh's truck this Sunday morning. I'm going to church with him." I don't know who Josh is, but I'll be looking for a Chaz Bono looking gal in a pickup Sunday morning about 10:40. AND, planning to go by and get the lady and her daughter to come back and sit with us, as well, who came last Sunday after "mistakenly" calling me instead of another attorney.

The ministry we'll be doing will be Reformers Unanimous curriculum, but we're not calling it that. We're calling it Radical U. We're aiming at not only addicts, but everyone. If you know about RU, though, you know it is focused on addiction recovery, but truly about repentance from sin and redemption and growth.

....

I started this response a few minutes after coming into the office, then had to run because my daughter had a school event. While there, my wife and I struck up a conversation with one of her classmates mother. Last spring, she and I had talked at an end-of-the-school-year thing at Chuck E Cheese; she'd asked me about what kind of law I do, all that. Turns out she has this big heart for people in jail to know Christ; her husband is one of Decatur's most loved doctors. She's not afraid to get down in the muck with people, which is wonderful. So, today, she comes up to my wife and they have sort of the same discussion. Before the event was over, we learned that she's been working at the local Dream Center (an AG ministry here for women in recovery) and she's doing bible studies with women at the county jail. So, we had a testimony time.

See, every time I turn around these days, this is smack in front of me. I love it. And, so I'm so truly jazzed about you and Joey doing what you're doing. Right now, it seems as if we were almost born to do this; if not born, at least prepared to have a heart for it. So, we'll see how the Lord uses us all!!

I don't know if you all are doing Celebrate Recovery or any particular type of curriculum with this ministry. I pray that God will bless it over 1,000 X 1,000, though, and both of you with it.

[Jennifer Smith]

I'm just amazed by all your testimonies. I will pray for the ministry that God has laid on your hearts. Thanks for sharing!

[doris]

This is so good., I have been doing a Ministry for three years, but can't seem to get it off the ground. I usually only have kids, and adults on probation.

These articles have given me new hope that it is not just me. So glad I dropped in on Jude 2 tonight.

Thank you Jesus for people that help people.................

[dolfan]

What amazes me is the people that keep responding to God's call to do this kind of ministry. So many. I'm learning more every single day. Been reading K.P. Yohannon's Revolution in World Missions (free ebook), and learning how faithful witness today means endurance and what seems by human standards to be thankless and unfruitful. I'm seeing that sticking it out for the long haul bears fruit, which should be no surprise I guess, but knowing about people like yourself, Doris, who are hanging in while feeling a little bewildered about not hitting expectations yet....well, let's just say it is an encouragement. Praying for you here, sis.