I looked up from my...
Illustration
I looked up from my reading as Harry knocked on my door. "Pastor, have you got a minute?" he asked. "Sure," I replied. "Come on in and have a seat."
Harry entered the office and took a chair. It was obvious from the way he was sitting that something was really bothering him. I knew Harry had just come back from a doctor's appointment. I hope he hasn't heard bad news, I thought.
Harry and I sat in silence for a few minutes. As we sat, I thought about how far he'd come since the night I had first met him almost a year ago. That night, I had been called to the hospital on an emergency basis. He had been shaking so hard from alcohol abuse that the whole bed was shaking. The doctor didn't think he'd make it through the night. But he did. He'd almost lost everything that mattered to him: his wife and family, his job, his faith and his friends. He'd worked hard to stay sober. He had discovered the strength that was his through faith, and he had earned the respect of his wife, his boss and his friends. He was even beginning to respect himself.
Finally Harry said, "I wonder if you'd be able to come and talk some sense into Andy." I knew that Andy was Harry's only child. "Andy's got the same problem that I had. If he doesn't watch it, he's going to lose everything. I'm afraid that he's going to kill himself. But, no matter how hard I try, he won't listen to me. Maybe you can talk some sense into him. I can't."
"Harry," I replied, "if he won't learn from your experience, I doubt he'll listen to me."
Harry entered the office and took a chair. It was obvious from the way he was sitting that something was really bothering him. I knew Harry had just come back from a doctor's appointment. I hope he hasn't heard bad news, I thought.
Harry and I sat in silence for a few minutes. As we sat, I thought about how far he'd come since the night I had first met him almost a year ago. That night, I had been called to the hospital on an emergency basis. He had been shaking so hard from alcohol abuse that the whole bed was shaking. The doctor didn't think he'd make it through the night. But he did. He'd almost lost everything that mattered to him: his wife and family, his job, his faith and his friends. He'd worked hard to stay sober. He had discovered the strength that was his through faith, and he had earned the respect of his wife, his boss and his friends. He was even beginning to respect himself.
Finally Harry said, "I wonder if you'd be able to come and talk some sense into Andy." I knew that Andy was Harry's only child. "Andy's got the same problem that I had. If he doesn't watch it, he's going to lose everything. I'm afraid that he's going to kill himself. But, no matter how hard I try, he won't listen to me. Maybe you can talk some sense into him. I can't."
"Harry," I replied, "if he won't learn from your experience, I doubt he'll listen to me."
