I saw you there…sitting on the porch with your head in your hands. You looked like you were feeling pretty rough. “It’s Sunday morning so maybe you partied a little too hearty last night,” I thought to myself. We were picking up the grandkids next door to go to church. It never occurred to me to ask if you’d like to join us. We were running a little late. And…well, you know…you looked a little rough. Maybe you wouldn’t feel up to going.

I heard the news a couple days ago. You OD’d the other night. Heroin. The kids said you weren’t a junky. You were “just a partier”. Now I understand why you looked so rough that Sunday morning. 

They showed me your mama’s post on Facebook. It was all in CAPS…like she was screaming. Which…I’m sure she was. And still is…whether we can hear her or not. She posted your picture, lying there in ICU, eyes puffy and blue, lids closed, the ventilator tube the only indicator you aren’t just asleep.

Your mama says you’re not going to wake up. She said your little boy came to see you and asked his mamaw why his Daddy wouldn’t wake up. She said your little girl is too little. She’ll never remember.

They say your party buddies just let you lay there that night. There were warrants out for them and if they called the cops, they’d get arrested themselves. Man…you understand, right? Right? These were your FRIENDS?! They dragged you to the shower and turned the water on for awhile. They said you’d snap out of it…so they just left you there as your brain slowly died from not enough oxygen. Or, maybe it was already dead. Who knows what was really in that crap you put in your body? The dealers cut the heroin with whatever they have handy that looks like heroin. Crushed up pills…baking soda…who knows? The dealer you got it from probably cut it. How many dealers touched it before it got to you? Who knows…who knows…who knows.

Your mama’s going to have to take you off the machines now. She begged you just the night before to leave that stuff alone. It was your 20th birthday. She told you it was going to kill you. She had no idea that less than 24 hours later, she’d get the call. You told her you didn’t shoot up the stuff. You were cool. You’d be fine.

Another mama lost her son.

Another baby lost her daddy.

Another boy will grow up without a man to show him how.

Another wife will be a widow.

*sigh*

What if? What if I would have rolled down the window and called your name? What if I would have said, “Hey…come with us! Come to church with us. We’ll take you out for a big breakfast after! C’mon…climb in!”

But…I didn’t ask. 

Another opportunity missed.

Another man down.

Damn drugs.

I’m sorry…..I should have called your name.

?

““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”   1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?…”    1 Corinthians 6:15 NIV