09-29-2018, 03:17 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-29-2018, 03:41 PM by IainH.
Edit Reason: Add descriptor
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A few years ago I went back over my income from 84-99 and calculated that I had pissed away, quite literally because I was a beer drinker, about $150,000 on partying. That is a nice house in a good community in Caldwell county, NC or a mansion if you don't mind living close to a dairy farm or a dirt racetrack or a main highway or Freedman, Dulatown or West End Lenoir (African-American dominant) or Valmead (white trash).
I had a friend who for under $100,000 bought a 3 br, 2 & a half bathroom, full basement, attached 2 car garage, swimming pool and a 20'x36' workshop on 3/4acre lot, brick home. And, it was less than 5 years old. However, on one side was a ratty trailer park and the rear was split on one side a dairy farm, the other Tri County Motor Speedway. On Fridays and Saturdays you were deafened by the roar of stock cars and the rest of the time the outside smelled like cow dung, droppings & pies. "You don't notice it after a while" said Tom "and it's camouflage from the DEA" Yep, Tom was a drug dealer. He was also honest, decent and charitable even if he looked big and mean enough to eat baby bunnies, ALIVE!
No kid in that trailer park went hungry or without clothes & Nikes. In summer those same kids played in the pool, run in and out of the kitchen getting their fill of "kiddie cocaine" that is; popsicles and Kool-Aid. He kept the counties elite scions well supplied with high quality dope, put money in the right pockets and was never busted. I got the best pot at wholesale price. He grew up poor and abused by alcoholic parents, which was why he was the benefactor of those trailer park kids. We met when we were moonlighting for JG Enterprises and became fast friends then buddies "You're the only person I've ever let get close, why is that?" He asked. I told him I'd lay down my life for him if it came to it and I meant it. We had a lot of fun being bad. Sadly, Tom died of a massive heart attack at only 41. I've been friends with a lot of "Toms" in my time. Salt of the Earth guys who slide into the grey area between legal and illegal, right and wrong. Churchies condemn them cross the road and cast them out as irredeemable.
Why am I writing about this? I dunno, maybe it's to explain why I am drawn to minister to the Toms of the world, to show compassion and grace. Maybe it's because I feel like I failed a friend, because I was completely disgusted with religion and had given up on God at that time.
Nonetheless, God had not given up on me! He rebuilt me unto good works, to help restore those who feel abandoned like I did. I've lost many a friend who could have been so much more. It is one of the things that truly grieve my spirit. There is nothing I can do about the past. I can only determine in my heart to listen and obey the Spirit when directed to someone who is redeemable.
May ALL that I do be to the GLORY OF GOD, Amen.
I had a friend who for under $100,000 bought a 3 br, 2 & a half bathroom, full basement, attached 2 car garage, swimming pool and a 20'x36' workshop on 3/4acre lot, brick home. And, it was less than 5 years old. However, on one side was a ratty trailer park and the rear was split on one side a dairy farm, the other Tri County Motor Speedway. On Fridays and Saturdays you were deafened by the roar of stock cars and the rest of the time the outside smelled like cow dung, droppings & pies. "You don't notice it after a while" said Tom "and it's camouflage from the DEA" Yep, Tom was a drug dealer. He was also honest, decent and charitable even if he looked big and mean enough to eat baby bunnies, ALIVE!
No kid in that trailer park went hungry or without clothes & Nikes. In summer those same kids played in the pool, run in and out of the kitchen getting their fill of "kiddie cocaine" that is; popsicles and Kool-Aid. He kept the counties elite scions well supplied with high quality dope, put money in the right pockets and was never busted. I got the best pot at wholesale price. He grew up poor and abused by alcoholic parents, which was why he was the benefactor of those trailer park kids. We met when we were moonlighting for JG Enterprises and became fast friends then buddies "You're the only person I've ever let get close, why is that?" He asked. I told him I'd lay down my life for him if it came to it and I meant it. We had a lot of fun being bad. Sadly, Tom died of a massive heart attack at only 41. I've been friends with a lot of "Toms" in my time. Salt of the Earth guys who slide into the grey area between legal and illegal, right and wrong. Churchies condemn them cross the road and cast them out as irredeemable.
Why am I writing about this? I dunno, maybe it's to explain why I am drawn to minister to the Toms of the world, to show compassion and grace. Maybe it's because I feel like I failed a friend, because I was completely disgusted with religion and had given up on God at that time.
Nonetheless, God had not given up on me! He rebuilt me unto good works, to help restore those who feel abandoned like I did. I've lost many a friend who could have been so much more. It is one of the things that truly grieve my spirit. There is nothing I can do about the past. I can only determine in my heart to listen and obey the Spirit when directed to someone who is redeemable.
May ALL that I do be to the GLORY OF GOD, Amen.