What Do I Have To Show For It

First allow me to start off with this, everyone has opportunities in life, some just have the life beat out of them so much by life that they settle, some have been raked across the coals so much that they don't have anything left, some are too caught up in the false reality they see on tv, and some are just too lazy.  Now not everyone has the same opportunities but everyone has opportunities, speaking with a man in his late 20's I discussed with him his life a bit. I've known the young man for a year and watched him remain in the same position of working a minimum wage job, being bullied by his baby momma, mother in-law, and support his kids. A year ago the young man was deep into alcoholism, but of course he saw it as no big deal since he only did it on the weekend. Yeah that's alright, nothing against having a break and taking back a few, but it's coming through your pores bro and it's clear from your bloodshot eyes that you're still heavily intoxicated. There were many days I thanked God he had no vehicle when I saw him drunk, things could have gotten real serious then. But back to the young man today, he's cut way back on the drinking, but he's still living the same life as he was last year. I can't stand it when people accept there existence on earth as enough. I didn't grow up with major motivation or support, but somehow I guess I figured that I would have to motivate myself. 

The young man and I started to talk and I began to ask him about what he was planning to do with his life? I will not lie, what I said may sound harsh, but nobody else is asking him these questions, no one else gives a crap about this young man, they would much rather be acceptant of his stationary existence in life. One of my church brothers met this young man, and when I see him he's asked about him on many occasions, and what do I have to say? I say "He's still doing the same old thing." It's not to say he has no way to do better, because he's intelligent, he just does dumb stuff. We discussed school, and his claim was he had tried it and didn't like his classes and was waiting to decide what he wanted to do. Okay, so in the mean time why not go learn a trade for something, get a certification and start working a real job? The financial aid assistance program helps so many people, it's great, and he can get help, but he'd rather sulk in his depression. Throughout our conversation the young man kept saying I'm just trying to take care of my kids, okay good. I love a father whose willing to take care of his children, but I posed a question to him- - - - - -what if something happens to you? He didn't have an answer to that, but tears filled his eyes. The next answer I received from him was, they would be taken care of, me being around really doesn't seem to matter to anyone. 

(Pause) Yeah, the truth comes out. Remember when I said some just have the life beat out of them so much by life that they settle, some have been raked across the coals so much that they don't have anything left. That's where this young mans situation is at, and unfortunately he's not surrounded by many people who are going to speak up about how he's living(Play)

BUT I WILL. I can't sit by and watch someone who has the potential to be great lay by the river that can heal them and be too comsumed by depression to roll themselves in. I hope you can swim dude because I'm pushing you, pulling you kicking and screaming into this river. I wasn't asking him to jump up to it today but I did push the issue of looking into going back to school, he's almost thirty, and the time we have left on this earth is not as long as we suspect it, to still be deciding on what we want in life. And besides what we want sometimes isn't what we need. Most people are in a job that they despise so they can afford to live comfortably, or have a stable income, or to support what they real would rather be doing not many people love what they do, jobs like that take time(hence the reason I'm going back to school). The discussion was about and hour long, but at the end I asked him with the life he was living currently what did he have to show for it? His response was a shrug. He's been broken, his past is horrible to say the least, but I'm beginning to realize that brokenness is part involuntary and part acceptance. I will a accept being broken, but I don't have to accept staying that way.