She Stands at the Door and Knocks

One of the most agonizing things that happens in the Evangel Home family is when a graduate falls back into the deadly and fast-moving river of alcoholism. It is heart-breaking and maddening at the same time to see a good Christian woman trying to come up for air as she is carried in that wicked current again. Some women never get out of the current, some drown in it, and some beg for a second, third, or fourth chance.

A 2009 graduate recently jumped into that river, and as we tried to pull her out, she drank more and sank out of sight for 8 days. She wandered the streets, drank herself into a stupor, and contacted no one. Staff talked about what we would do if she came back. We prayed for her safety and we grieved with women at Evangel Home who are her friends. I will call her "Monica." 

Go back with me several years to 2005 when another such woman, Jennifer, was killed in a hit and run accident in Madera. Her death still affects us. On January 13, 2010, the memory of Jennifer and the struggles of "Monica" met. I received an email from an old college friend of Jennifer's named Jeff. He described their friendship in the 90's at a Christian college in Pennsylvania. Then he told me about wondering about his old friend, how his search led to an article in the Madera Tribune about her tragic death, and finally to the Evangel Home website and an archived newsletter.

Here are some of his words: "I saw the short article about her; her graduation from your program in 2002 and her death in 2005. . .

"My fear was confirmed. My old friend is gone."

"I realize I'm a little more than a random voice from the great void of the internet, but as I mourn for the loss of my friend tonight, I just wanted to send you a warm thank you on behalf of myself and  others who knew Jenn. . . for taking care of her when she needed it most; for continuing to do Kingdom Work that matters on behalf of our Lord Jesus. Thank you, too, for printing that article in your newsletter and including a picture of Jenn with the words from the day of her graduation that touched me so:

" 'This day is definitely NOT all about me. It's about all of you sitting here. It's about those who helped me even when others may not have. Those who helped me stay at Evangel Home and those who helped me to stay focused.

" 'A lot of you sacrificed so that I could be here today, and I hope you see a small reward for all your efforts.' "

Jeff finished his thoughts with these words: "I don't know who will read this, if anyone at all, but I knew Jenn. I know what it must have meant for her to say those words. I would do anything  to have been there when she needed me after she left college, but it is a great comfort to know that you were there."

I was so moved by the words of this man I had never heard of that I called him. We had a wonderful talk and I shared with him how Evangel Home struggles when what happened to Jenn happens to others -- when a graduate so full of promise and life, returns to drinking and all the darkness and death it brings. I shared with him about  "Monica" and our conflicted thoughts about what we would do if she returned. If she just knocked at the door once more.

Within an hour of my phone conversation with Jeff, there was a knock at the door. It was "Monica." She was still under the influence, but we could not question the Other influence in this scene.

God had wrestled her out of the current -- partly by using the words in that email and partly through the ensuing conversation between two people who had never spoken before. We will now start over with "Monica."

I am grateful to Jeff for taking the time to find his old friend and in this way helping Evangel Home throw a rescue line to "Monica." All of us have a deeper and richer faith as a result of this "perfect storm" -- flooded with tears for Jenn, buoyed by belief, and once again keenly aware that God orchestrates our every move when we let Him.

As Romans 8:28 promises: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."