Nose to the Grindstone
Most of us have heard the following expressions: “He‘s not afraid of hard work.” “Put some elbow grease on it.” “You‘re burnin‘ daylight.” “If you don‘t work, you don‘t eat.“ “Make hay while the sun shines.” “If you choose a career you love, you’ll never work a
day in your life.“

Work is a big part of life and, if we want to amount to anything, we
have to work in some fashion. It may not be punching a time clock on the production line, or working in the office 9 to 5, driving a big rig, or pushing cattle, but we all have some type of work to accomplish. Honestly, there’s no paycheck for a lot of the work we do — just the satisfaction of a job well done. Anybody can start a chore, but you have to put your nose to the grindstone to finish it with excellence.

In the Bible, we refer to Nehemiah as the weeping prophet, for when he was told that the remnant of Jews were in great trouble and shame, the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates burned, he sat down and wept and mourned for days. He knew his people were defenseless against their enemies with no wall for protection. King Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem as Governor of Judah and also Chief Construction Officer.
Nehemiah maintained a close relationship with God, and God gave him wisdom on how to accomplish the huge task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.

After Nehemiah inspected the wall, he called the men together and basically told them, “Don’t be afraid, trust God and work like crazy.“ Before the construction began, the scripture tells us, “the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6 ESV). A stouthearted
decision must be made before we start something or there’s a strong possibility we won’t stick with it when the going gets tough.

Nehemiah and the people prayed and partnered with God, therefore, He set a guard as a protection against their enemies day and night. Nehemiah writes, “I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people,
‘Do not be afraid of them [enemies]. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’ When our enemies heard that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such
a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out“ (Nehemiah 4:13-18,21 ESV). This formidable half-warrior/half-worker team was committed to build with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other.

There are times when a believer’s job is to pray, trust, and wait. But the building of Jerusalem’s wall was not one of those times to kick back and see what God would do.

This was a time for God to see His people use their elbow grease. If they were determined to work, then He would take care of them. This construction was no walk in the park, but it was possible with God’s favor on His valiant crew. He protected them as they labored, and everyone had a part to play in this huge project which was completed in just 52 days.

The Key: Put your nose to the grindstone and God will protect it from getting skinned.

Since I began writing this column in April of 2021, the most common question I get is, “Why are we shrinking?”  Many people are quick the lay the blame on any number of local factors, but in my first column, I cited ten primary reasons from my research over the years, which are listed below:

1. Rapid industrialization during and after WWII

Small town America led the nation’s growth until 1941, when we ramped up the war effort.  Factories were built in large cities near a concentration of the supply of labor, and urbanism began.

2. Change in tax policies to promote manufacturing

With the need to build our war machine came tax incentives from Washington in the form of tax credits and accelerated depreciation to benefit primarily these large city manufacturers; this began the great tax transfer from small town earners to large city companies.  Additionally, the Federal Government is the largest employer in Kansas City. How many Federal workers do you know who live in Bourbon County?

3. Agricultural efficiencies and the drop of ag employment

Most of us are aware that it takes far fewer agricultural workers to produce a crop and manage a herd.  Ag employment per acre has dropped precipitously over the last 75 years.

4. Rapid transportation: planes, trains and automobiles

Our mobile society makes it much easier for our young people to seek employment is faraway places, primarily big cities near transportation centers.

5. Global competition created the need for economy of scale

Due to technology, the world is much smaller now, making it easier for companies to go nationwide/global.  To create efficiencies, industries have consolidated, as evidenced by the over 15,000 banks 40 years ago, condensed to 4,519 at yearend 2020.

6. Increase in regulation

New government regulations, such as the Patriot Act, have dramatically increased the cost of doing business, crowding out mom and pop companies in small towns.

7. Advent of “Big Box” retailers

Wal-Mart.  Need I say more?

8. Access to technology/online shopping

The Internet has revolutionized the world, and retail has paid the price.  This has disproportionately impacted small town America.

9. Loss of desire for community

We are devolving from a relationship culture to an entertainment culture.  Give me experiences!  There is nothing to do here!  We are becoming human doings, instead of human beings.

10. Entertainment culture

Who are our highest paid citizens?  It is those who entertain us, who seldom live in small towns.  In a capitalist society, money flows toward what we value.

There are more, but these are megatrends that have strangled small towns, through no fault of their own.  Other than the energy sector areas, the trends are impacting small towns universally and disproportionally.

In many ways, we are a victim circumstances we cannot control.  We can put our best foot forward and distinguish ourselves from other small towns around us who suffer the same fate.  There is no quit in me in an effort to preserve the lifestyle I grew up with

On their drive from Florida to join my son Andy in Iowa, Andy’s wife, Kristen, her mom, Tina, and their 21-month-old daughter Paige spent the night in a hotel.  Before touching anything, Kristen and Tina disinfected the room with Clorox wipes.  When they realized that Paige was not in the room, they ran into the bathroom, only to find her happily minding her own business, dunking Ritz crackers in the toilet. So much for sterile.

Paige loves to dunk…basketballs in a toddler-size net, French fries in ketchup or yogurt or fruit drinks, chicken nuggets in…well, everything.  But she never has shown any interest in toilets, so this came as quite an unwelcomed surprise to her mother and grandmother.

We all know the purpose of toilets…and it’s not to dunk crackers.

“Purpose” is defined as the “reason for which something is done or created; the reason for its existence.”  Everything has a purpose, right?  Okay, probably not ramps like the picture.

Anyway, in my curiosity, I asked some friends if they could think of anything with no purpose.  Many answered “mosquitoes,” with one trivia junkie adding that more people have died of mosquito bites than from all of the world wars combined. (Google claims that 2.7 million people die every year from these pests.)  But no purpose?  Lest we forget, there is that little food-chain thing.

Years ago, Pastor Rich Warren wrote The Purpose-Driven Life, a best-seller.  Readers were challenged to look at their spiritual purpose and answer this question: “Why are you here?”  Some claimed that it was to make money.   Others, to have children.  Many said that it was to leave the world a better place than they found it.  The question is not an easy one.

Warren wanted people to be honest about where glorifying God fits into their purpose.  Let’s say that He’s not central, but is He anywhere on your list of why you exist?  If your answer is no, maybe it’s time to figure out why you think you were created.  Matthew 7:7-11 lets us know where to go to figure that out: Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.

In the book 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God That Invites You into His Story, my devotion this morning was about the book of Ruth. In it, author Larry Crabb writes words that he pictures God imparting to him: “You value what I can give you more than you value the privilege and delight of knowing Me and being radically changed by the experience…I am determined to reverse your values

Some day we all are going to have a literal “Come to Jesus” moment where our life’s objective will be revealed to the One who made us.  If we want to make our lives count, then we must allow God to have His way with us…to reverse our values, to help us delight in knowing who He is. Before it’s too late.

Readers, this is serious stuff.  Should we get distracted and live a dunk-the-cracker-in-the-toilet existence, we will miss the main purpose we were put on earth.

Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker

On a hot morning in August, I stepped onto the front porch and noticed all the dead fallen leaves from my poplar tree. It was obvious the tree was in distress — more than any of the others in my yard. Although it’s a huge mature tree, perhaps its root system doesn’t go down as deep as the maple and oak trees do. It was such a disturbing sight that I spontaneously prayed, “Lord, please don’t let me dry up spiritually like this tree.” For two summers I have  faithfully watered the Jane Magnolia tree that Aaron and I planted in memory of my husband. This baby tree has a weak root system, so without consistent watering it would succumb to the draught. Because of the tree’s significance, I purposely nurture and care for it so it can thrive and become strong.

With all the incoming missiles of the evil one and the bombarding distractions of the world, it takes determined effort to abide in Christ. Believers simply won’t thrive  spiritually without living in Him. Here’s what Jesus had to say about it: “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing“ (John 15:1,4,5 AMP). I don’t want to be doing my own thing and be fruitless to boot!

In recent years, binging has become rampant in the lives of both believers and unbelievers. The definition of binge is excessive unrestrained activity; uncontrolled indulgence. Binge-watching (to watch many or all episodes of a TV series in rapid succession) has become an acceptable thing. But Jesus wants us to shut every door that offers the enemy access, so we need to be well balanced in all that we do. “And He [Jesus] said to them, ’Keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Mark 14:38 GNT). I’ll just go out on a limb and say the flesh is stupid too. Our born-again spirit is willing and desires vital union with God, but our flesh is brainless, lazy, and hell-bent on godless and fruitless desires.

It’s high-time for Christians to train our flesh and let it know that it’s not in charge! The apostle Paul wrote, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV). God gives His people a new heart and a new spirit to live according to His will (God‘s Word). We have what He says we have, so let’s stop whining and acting like we’re not strong enough to take authority over our stupid flesh. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, “For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us….(2 Corinthians 5:14 AMP). There’s enabling power in the love of Christ and the blood of the Lamb. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NKJV).

It’s easy to be overcome by life’s trials and temptations when our spiritual root system is dry as a bone. When (not if) the bottom falls out of your world, all those hours of binge-watching won’t do you a lick of good. The only way to stand up under the heat and not wilt is to be consistently and intimately connected to the Vine so you can thrive in all kinds of adverse situations. You can be as close to God as you want to be — it’s your call.

The Key: Live every day with Jesus’ soaker hose wrapped around your spirit.

The population decline in every Southeast Kansas (“SEK”) county is a disturbing trend and represents our biggest threat.  As a result, there is a shortage of labor in the region, which is a serious hurdle when recruiting employers.

What can we do to attract new labor to SEK?  We have to play both offense and defense at the same time, solving problems while working on the plus side.  Here are some observations.

The biggest problem rural America has is the mass exodus of our young people to cities for education, better jobs, and entertainment.  Study after study shows that our young people are far more experiential than we are, preferring the memories of an exotic vacation over the down payment on a home or the security of a vehicle without a monthly payment.  Does it makes sense to go to herculean efforts to attract new people when the natives are not staying?  Perhaps we should spend some of our resources on how to slow this dynamic.

Bourbon County REDI hosted the first ever county-wide strategic planning meeting this month, and the group was virtually unanimous as to the biggest barrier to attracting new labor: housing.  A close second is our high taxes, which is part of the cause of our housing issues.  Every government in the county is aware of this and many are focused on solutions.  For example, the City of Fort Scott recently formed a Land Bank to give consideration to vacant properties and those that are in need of attention, and formulate creative solutions.  It is a beginning, and other efforts like this are percolating.  It will take all of us, every government, every civic organization and every citizen working together to make progress.

Third, we have to make our communities more attractive to outsiders.  This includes previously mentioned issues such as entertainment amenities, cleaning up blighted properties, holding the line or lowering property tax rates and encouraging collaborative efforts.  Additionally, we must pay attention to our infrastructure, which paints a rather daunting picture of our community to outsiders.  Out-of-town realtors representing prospective buyers are aware of our sewer issues and warn their clients, which has a chilling effect on holding time and prices.  Also, I consider the social media environment in a community as “soft” infrastructure; certainly ours could be kinder.

Lastly, we have to think outside the box to opportunities such as immigration.  I am not talking about an uncontrolled mass migration of people; rather, a thoughtful, measured approach such as what has been executed with the three Afghan families in our community.  They have been solid, productive citizens.  We are, after all, a nation of immigrants.

These issues represent mega trends that we cannot completely overcome, but perhaps we can differentiate ourselves from other small communities by being the best we can be.  Many of us are committed to working on solutions for this community in which we have chosen to make our permanent homes.  I encourage you to get involved as well.

Two of my closest couple friends have had the same experience in the past month, and it hasn’t been a good one.  Both of them joined couples’ Bible studies, hoping to meet new friends and grow in their faith.

One (“Lisa”) phoned to relive her nightmare with me.  She signed up at her church and was told the leader would contact her with information “soon” as the group was meeting in the next two weeks.      When Lisa heard nothing after eight days, she emailed Rose, the leader, to say how excited she was about joining and asking if there was a scheduled time and date.  My friend was floored by the response: “Well, are we a little impatient?  I have you on the list and will let you know when we are getting together” …which came via an email the following Thursday, announcing a session the next evening.

So as not to appear uninterested, Lisa and her husband, “Greg,” changed their plans to attend.  Besides the leaders, only one other couple was there, and for two hours, the guests listened to Rose and her husband explain how they hadn’t prepared anything so they would just discuss the Sunday sermon and visit which—you guessed it—was all about them.  It was downhill from there.

Today I had lunch with “Julie” and “Steve,” long-time friends who recently joined a mega-church and are loving it.  They too signed up for a couples’ study and were shocked that the leaders never asked them one personal question (where they were from, how long they had been Christians, how they started going to the same church, etc.).  Instead, the couple in charge spent the entire evening talking about themselves.  My friends didn’t go back.

I’ve known people like that.  Not many, but enough to realize that I don’t want them as close friends.  There is no give and take.  Only give.  (Or is it take?)  At any rate, I always question how they review an evening where they haven’t learned one thing about the other person.  Or are they excited because they found an audience willing to listen to their ramblings?

Everybody can teach us something.  Everybody! Proverbs 18:2 cautions us all to be wise and listen: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion, a scripture echoed in 18:13: If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. 

As Christians, let us be mindful of the need to value others by learning about their lives.  Maybe, just maybe, we might learn a thing or two.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Since we hadn’t taken our annual family vacation for four years, the kids and I decided to go big and go to the Bahamas. Being the country bumpkin that I am, I knew before we went that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime destination for me. Some people love the mountains, but I’m a water-and-beach gal. I suppose, if I lived on an island, I could take for granted the beautiful turquoise water, the calming sound of the rolling waves, and the fascinating beaches. But for the ten days we were privileged to be in Grand Bahama, God’s masterful handiwork was awesome and gorgeous every day.

Nevertheless, amid the bliss of the Caribbean, I was a stranger on foreign soil. Everything familiar to me had blown out the window of the 737. The only two languages I speak are  redneck and hillbilly. The beautiful Bahamians speak English, but I couldn’t understand most of them because they put their own spin on it. They also drive on the wrong side of the road.  Why? The first taxi transport was comparable to a scary carnival ride. One day I unintentionally stopped traffic from both directions as I attempted to cross the busy street (with no traffic lights or stop signs). Thankfully, the locals are smart and go to great lengths not to run over a tourist.

One of the first out-of-the-ordinary things I did was watch “Daddy Brown” prepare my conch salad right in front of my eyes. Before chopping it to smithereens, he hit the conch with his utensil and I watched it quiver. He claimed the added lime juice would “cook it.“ I exclaimed, “That’s raw!“ His response: “We say it’s fresh.” Well, where I come from, we fry our fish and it’s very dead when we eat it. No bones about it, I felt like a duck out of water even though the locals bent over backwards to be kind, friendly, and helpful.

One of these days (sooner than I can imagine) I’ll step into a place that’s been prepared for me. Although I’ve never been there before, I’ll feel completely at home. There will be no transition period, no getting used to it, and no awkwardness. Everything will be perfect in the blink of an eye. Why do I believe this? Because Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you…where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2,3 NKJV).

Our vacation was a worthwhile experience and made enduring family memories outside the U.S.A. But it was also good to be back home again, even if it is just temporary. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our once-in-a-lifetime passport out of this world. When believers take our last breath, our spirit is carried by angels to that beautiful City of Gold.

When I was a young girl playing piano and singing, occasionally my folks and I would sing a “special” together in church. Since Dad was especially fond of songs about heaven,  we sang “I Will Not Be a Stranger,“ written in 1956 by James B. Singleton. Here are some of those lyrics: “I will not be a stranger when I get to that City, I’ve a home on those streets paved with gold; I will feel right at home there in that beautiful “Somewhere” with my loved ones whose memories I hold. Thru the years, thru the tears, they have gone one by one. But they’ll wait at the gate until my race is run. I will not be a stranger when I get to that City, I’m acquainted with folks over there.”

The Key: We’re here, but when we get there, we’ll be right at home — where we belong.

Tuesday evening, August 23^rd, marked the first countywide strategic planning meeting by community leaders and private citizens in Bourbon County.  I noted representatives from every government jurisdiction in the county along with major businesses, community organizations, and private citizens.  It was a marvelous event.  I was pleased that his message dovetailed with the origins of Bourbon County REDI: Community trust and collaboration is everything. Here is how we got here:

BEDCO, was started in 1992 by community men and women to bring the far reaches of Bourbon County together with a focus on economic development.  Out of this entity was birthed our industrial park, among other initiatives.  Over time, this outstanding organization devolved into a Fort Scott-only effort.  Primarily, it became a sales and management entity for industrial park lots and the dispenser of a trickle of grant money.  Steve Buerge served admirably as its longstanding Chairman, often donating his own money to the cause.

Fast forward to 2018 when several of us were lamenting the rising cost of local government compared to the declining number of tax payers.  We started researching jurisdictions that had consolidated counties with cities, or started sharing services to save costs.  We began to uncover some of the internal barriers to progress in our community, the biggest of which is distrust.  We concluded we had work to do before we can even think about any kind of sharing or consolidation.

As these discussions ensued in BEDCO board meetings, they authorized the formation of a formal committee to study the idea.  They appointed Mark McCoy and Gregg Motley to kick it off and add members from disparate parts of the county to bring credibility to the process.  We met regularly over more than a year’s period of time, researching ideas, collecting data, visiting other jurisdictions on our own nickel, uncovering pockets of distrust and other barriers within the county, and formulating a plan.  The final product is what now known as Bourbon County REDI, in the form of new organizational bylaws which brings the whole county back into the process.

While several people worked on the committee for the year+, here is the group that saw it over the finish line: Mark McCoy, Chairman, Gregg Motley, Vice Chairman, Nancy Maze, Secretary, Greg Fess, Ward Kraft, Larry Jurgensen, Uniontown Mayor, and Larry Martin, Fort Scott Livestock Auction.  I saw Uniontown Mayor Larry Jurgensen last night and he was grinning ear to ear with the realization that the event was the culmination of all our time investments.

Bourbon County REDI was born.  It was ordained by BEDCO and funded by Bourbon County and Fort Scott.  It has also been sanctioned by Bronson, Fulton, Mapleton, Redfield, Uniontown, Fort Scott Community College, USD 234, USD 235, and the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.  This is a mandate to help restore trust and collaboration countywide.  There will be detractors and naysayers, but we have the high ground.  If we stick to our mission and continually work to establish trust and collaboration, the county will succeed together.

I’ve cherished a heartwarming memory about family and well water since I was about six years old. My Aunt Pauline and Uncle John lived in the country and had a well just outside their house. (Where I come from, water from a deep life-giving well that never ran dry was always preferred over other resources.) An elongated well-draw bucket was used to fetch the water. Then the water was released into a clean aluminum dishpan, and that’s where my cousins and I would get a refreshing drink when we were thirsty. Everyone (oldest to youngest) drank from the same dipper because we were all family. However, should anyone stop by, he/she could have a drink from the dipper too. Anyone thirsty and needing to wet their whistle was welcome, accepted, and loved.

The biblical story of the woman at the well depicts a powerful life-changing encounter with Jesus.  He and His followers were traveling through Samaria and, while the disciples were in town buying something to eat, Jesus wearily sat down on the edge of Jacob’s well to rest. Around noon, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well. Since Jews traditionally despised the Samaritans, she was surprised that Jesus would strike up a conversation with her. But her nationality made no difference to this caring Stranger. In fact, Jesus  kindly said to her, “Please give me a drink.“

The woman said to Jesus, “’You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’ Jesus replied, ’If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water’” (John 4:9,10 NLT). He explains that anyone who drinks water from the well will soon get thirsty again. “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life“ (John 4:14 NLT).

The two of them talked about the unseemly aspects of her broken life. As Jesus showed His love and acceptance while teaching about salvation, her spirit was opened to receive the truth. She said, “I know the Messiah is coming — the One who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us. Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM the Messiah!’” (John 4:25,26 NLT). The woman was thirsting for answers and Jesus spoke of more than she had hoped for! Excitedly, she left her water jar and ran lickety-split back to the village, telling everyone, “’Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He possibly be the Messiah?’ So the people came streaming from the village to see Him” (John 4:29,30 NLT). While she was passionately sharing her testimony with others, she became the first New Testament evangelist to win a village to Christ.

Statistics show that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. I don’t know what percentage of Americans are genuine believers. But I do know there’s a large percentage of people wandering around in a spiritual desert, chronically dehydrated, looking for living water. Christians need to realize we’re a walking testimony. The water jar we carry is on the inside of us and it’s full of fresh living water that’s supposed to bubble over onto the thirsty people around us. God wants to use us to compassionately tell others that Jesus knows everything they’ve ever done and loves them anyway. Now that’s Good News!

The Key: Come see this Man; He knows you thirst, He knows you hurt, and He understands.

Money Flow

In my last column, I compared the total business payrolls of Bourbon County to that of two of the most relatable counties in Southeast Kansas: Allen and Neosho.  While payrolls are a strong indication of the vitality of business activity in a jurisdiction, one can also look at the flow of money into a community to gauge the strength of that activity and future prospects.  As the saying goes, “It takes money to make money.”  While that it is not an absolute, it certainly holds true much of the time.  Accordingly, let us take a look at the flow of money into these three counties over the last few years.

One way to understand how much money is being created in a community is to look at the lending activity to small businesses; almost all of our Southeast Kansas businesses fit that definition. Here is a chart of total small business loans outstanding in each county and the average loan size at origination:

2015                                      2019

As you can see, over the five years considered, Bourbon County has grown their small business community when measured by lending activity.  Each of these loans puts additional money in circulation in a community and helps fuel future economic activity.

How has that translated into the money supply in our community?  One way to evaluate that is to look at total deposits in the county financial institutions.  Here is how the banks in the three counties compare in recent years:

2019                                               2020

Allen and Neosho lending institutions and investors have millions of dollars more to place in future business activity than Bourbon County, and their deposits grew by 22% and 15%, respectively, compared to 9% for Bourbon County.  Part of the explanation of the dramatic one-year growth in all three counties are government programs rolled out during the pandemic, such as the Payroll Protection Program, which injected millions of dollars into small businesses across the country.  The real question is whether these businesses invested in payroll and business activity, or paid off bank loans and stuck the rest into their deposit accounts.  Considering our increase in lending activity and smaller deposit growth, it looks as if more of this kind of government money went to work in Bourbon County small businesses than that of the other two counties.

All indications are that the small businesses in Bourbon County are holding their own, and increasing their economic activity relative to our two similar neighbors.  Bourbon County REDI encourages you to support your local small businesses by shopping local and paying your sales tax in Bourbon County.  Let us all help the vitality of our small business community when possible.

In a Bible study, my group prayed for Ben, a 21-year-old heroin/meth addict who has been placed in a treatment center by his parents.  Ben, we were told, was a star baseball player.  At 6’6” and 250 pounds (plus owning a 93-mph fastball), scouts were showing an interest.  Two summers ago, while tossing haybales at his parent’s ranch, Ben felt something pop in his throwing arm.  The news was not good.  He would need Tommy John surgery.

Ben was told that it would be about two years before he would pitch again.  The opioid Oxycodone was prescribed, and Ben became addicted.  Fortunately, he was not one of the 130 people who die daily from an opioid-related overdose, but ultimately, that pain killer morphed into illegal drugs (not uncommon since 80% of heroin users begin with prescription pills).

For two years, tens of thousands of dollars were spent ineffectively on rehab facilities by the young man’s parents.  On his own, Ben took the first step to stop using drugs.  The improvement was so radical, his parents bought him his own house so he could get a fresh start.  Then he needed his wisdom teeth pulled.  Pain pills were prescribed, and Ben was hooked again, this time more than ever. His parents once again brought him to live in their home.

One night, Ben’s parents went to town for an evening out.  They took precautions, locking the keys to their second car in the safe.  When they returned, they found the safe had been pulled into the garage and their tractor was missing.  On a meth-high, Ben had been able to drag the safe next to the car, hoping the keys were close enough to start the vehicle.  When that failed, Ben drove the tractor to McDonalds, a few miles away.

Ben now weighs 155 pounds and calls his parents daily, begging them to remove him from the facility to which they have committed him.  I found myself grieving for the parents, as I have walked alongside two friends whose sons had chosen similar paths and had made those phone calls.  Some days, it was all the parents could do to drag themselves out of bed as their sadness would take on the same lifespan as their addict children. Some days, they enabled their addict child.  Some days, they drew a line in the sand and refused to help.

In the last year, I have sat with two mothers whose young adult children died from drug’s side effects.  One was suicide from drug-induced bipolar disorder and the other from drug-induced bulimia.  Their children’s torment has ended.  Theirs hasn’t.  In this life, it probably never will.

There are all types of addictions: cigarettes; alcohol; pornography; work; sex; caffeine; ministry (yes, even that); gambling; golf; the internet; shopping; approval of others; comfort foods; and video games, to name a few.  What keeps individuals pursuing these obsessions?

For one, life is tough.  Not a day goes by that we aren’t reminded that things aren’t as they should be.  Instead of accepting that perfection stopped in the Garden of Eden and won’t return again until Jesus comes back, these messy in-between years are expected to be something they can’t be.  We keep seeking answers, and instead of turning to God, we turn to behaviors which provide relief (albeit temporarily).

Isaiah 64:6 reminds us how close we all are to the edge of the addiction cliff when it says we all are unclean.  All of us.  So, we seek relief which can be found in one of two places: the Creator or the world.  Maybe it’s not drugs, but look at the inexhaustive list above.  Who of us hasn’t at one time or another sought to feel better by relying on something other than our Creator?  (My hand is raised here, thank you potato chips and dip.)

I write this article to ask you to pray for Ben and anyone else you know whose addictions have led down a road to destruction.  Pray for their families.  And pray for yourselves, should anything you do be one step closer to pulling you away from God and into the ways of the world.