Up to God

I often write about the rewards of the recovery field. There's no rush, no high, like seeing a former client who's doing well.

And that happened for me again this past week while at a public event where I encountered a TLC graduate. He was sober, well-dressed, healthy looking, and accompanied by an attractive woman. They were smiling and seemed to be having a good time.

Since I didn't know his companion I wasn't going to say anything - even act like I recognized him - unless he approached me first. And he eventually did. He greeted me with enthusiasm and introduced me to his companion.

            "This is one of the people who helped save my life," he said as he introduced us. I thanked him for his kindness and we made small talk for a while.

While this might not seem a big deal, had you known this man several years ago you would realize that he is a living miracle. He was homeless for many years, touring skid rows around the country. When he first came to TLC he barely communicated. He'd sit in counseling sessions not saying anything, nor participating. He had few job skills and even fewer social skills.

But after a few cycles through the program he eventually stuck around for a few years. Slowly he came out of his shell and began to believe he could do better. While most clients don’t achieve success like this man, enough of them succeed to make our mission worthwhile.

It’s heartbreaking to spend time working with someone only to have them relapse and return to their former life.

But our job is to do the work; we leave the results up to God. And in this case he did a good job.