You never know
I heard about the shooting. A body was found laying in the road early Monday morning in not the best part of Ogden. It would turn out that the man was killed by a shotgun blast to the mid-section and left to die in the street. It happens, right? Like most, I'm so used to hearing about people getting dead that I noticed the story and went on about my business.
This morning, I found out that in a small way, it WAS my business.
I knew this man, William. I even told you about him. He was the man in the story that, like Wendi, was from Richmond, Indiana and a part of the Bible study class at the mission. He'd left the mission three weeks ago, took a job, and was trying to earn money to get back home to his family and children.
As the story develops, we'll hear about what started the argument. We'll hear why one man felt his only recourse was to shoot another man in the belly with a shotgun. We'll hear a lot about this and that before the trial. But what matters most is something I will never know this side of glory.
William was trying to find his way in life. He'd come here and got involved with the wrong people. It happens. Without intervention, I would most likely have wound up like him. (Thanks MOM!) He was struggling with trying to find a church. He wanted to get baptized in the river this summer. He missed his family. We talked about Richmond. We talked about eating pizza at Claire's. We talked about Jesus, Mormonism, and the struggles he was facing.
I will wonder for the rest of my life about William. I would like to know that he'd made that decision for Christ and was early in his walk, trying to figure things out. I know he was really trying to straighten out his life. I know he had a drug problem. I know he was fighting the battle. Sadly, it ended all too soon for him.
He leaves behind a small family. He will never see his children again. I have no words of comfort for his family because I don't know if William made that eternal choice. I will never know if I was a help to him during the two times I had to chat with him. I tried to help and encourage him.
I noticed that when I got to the mission this morning, the room was unusually quiet. I fund out why shortly after arriving. It's sad to see people missing from the program because you know that it most likely means they're headed back to the life they left. It's why I think our Bible study is so important. It's why I think investing in relationships is so important. It's so easy to walk back to what we know. William's death is weighing heavy on my heart today. I knew him to be everything his friend described. A good guy, who made some bad choices, who struggled with them, and who was trying to straighten out his life.
Sadly, that life ended all too early, at the hand of a stranger, whose life is also forever changed.
You just never know.
This morning, I found out that in a small way, it WAS my business.
I knew this man, William. I even told you about him. He was the man in the story that, like Wendi, was from Richmond, Indiana and a part of the Bible study class at the mission. He'd left the mission three weeks ago, took a job, and was trying to earn money to get back home to his family and children.
As the story develops, we'll hear about what started the argument. We'll hear why one man felt his only recourse was to shoot another man in the belly with a shotgun. We'll hear a lot about this and that before the trial. But what matters most is something I will never know this side of glory.
William was trying to find his way in life. He'd come here and got involved with the wrong people. It happens. Without intervention, I would most likely have wound up like him. (Thanks MOM!) He was struggling with trying to find a church. He wanted to get baptized in the river this summer. He missed his family. We talked about Richmond. We talked about eating pizza at Claire's. We talked about Jesus, Mormonism, and the struggles he was facing.
I will wonder for the rest of my life about William. I would like to know that he'd made that decision for Christ and was early in his walk, trying to figure things out. I know he was really trying to straighten out his life. I know he had a drug problem. I know he was fighting the battle. Sadly, it ended all too soon for him.
He leaves behind a small family. He will never see his children again. I have no words of comfort for his family because I don't know if William made that eternal choice. I will never know if I was a help to him during the two times I had to chat with him. I tried to help and encourage him.
I noticed that when I got to the mission this morning, the room was unusually quiet. I fund out why shortly after arriving. It's sad to see people missing from the program because you know that it most likely means they're headed back to the life they left. It's why I think our Bible study is so important. It's why I think investing in relationships is so important. It's so easy to walk back to what we know. William's death is weighing heavy on my heart today. I knew him to be everything his friend described. A good guy, who made some bad choices, who struggled with them, and who was trying to straighten out his life.
Sadly, that life ended all too early, at the hand of a stranger, whose life is also forever changed.
You just never know.
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