My friend Corina said an interesting thing the other day.  She works with families who are trying to get off the streets.  She said that everyone is welcome to study at her centre (she provides job training to help these families learn to support themselves in honest and positive ways)…but the first rule is that they have to be willing to change.  If they don’t want to change, her centre is not the place for them. 

That struck a chord with me.  I’ve said many times to my guys that I’m willing to give anyone an opportunity.  What they do with that opportunity is their choice.  Sadly, not everyone uses the opportunities given to them wisely.  Unfortunately I had to ask one of the guys to leave the house this week.  It’s been a while coming.  We had some issues come up in the fall, and then again in the beginning of January.  But I really believed that things were changing for this young guy.  If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have said that he was doing well.  

But the truth that our “sin will find us out” came into play this week, and it turns out that he wasn’t being very truthful about some areas of his life.  He knew what the consequences of his actions would be if he was found out…like most of us, he just didn’t think he’d be found out.

What saddens me the most, is that I understand what he’s going through.  I understand where the motivation for his actions and choices is coming from.  These guys have grown up without much in the way of love and acceptance for most of their lives.  It’s easy for that need or desire to take precedence over everything else.

I tried to give this young guy as much grace as I could.  But I have a responsibility to the other guys in the house, so in the end, the decision was clear.  We had a good conversation.  Of course we were both sad, and at one point he asked me if I was disappointed in him.  I told him that it’s always difficult when a friend chooses to lie to you, but in the end, he still had my friendship and forgiveness.  That nothing could ever change that.  I also told him that our door was always open, and in six months or a year, if things were different for him, he would be welcome to come back.  I really hope that happens.  He’s a fellow that I’ve known for a long time.  When I first thought about this ministry, his name was one of the first I thought of, in terms of helping him.  

I also tried to encourage him to not let his pride get in the way of continuing to go to church and hanging out with us.  I know he feels bad and I imagine it’s going to be difficult for him to face the other guys.  I’m going to work at keeping in touch with him, but in the end that’s his decision.

Like I said, the conversation went as well as it could.  He understands why this is happening.  He’s not leaving probably until Thursday (he has the last of his classes for his English course this week), and today he was friendly and normal with me.  So that’s encouraging.

Please pray for this young guy.  Obviously he has some difficult choices and decisions ahead of him.  And he desperately (along with most of the guys here) needs God to heal the wounds from his past.  He knows this, but so far he hasn’t been willing to pursure it.  I could use your prayers as well.  My heart is pretty heavy right now.  But I’ve said many times, God taught me early on in ministry that it’s never the end of the story.  I know that God will continue the work that he began in my young friend’s life.  

I have another difficult conversation I need to have as well, with another of the guys.  I’m not asking him to leave, but he needs to start thinking more seriously about his life and choices, or I may have to. 

These are not decisions I make lightly.  If you know me at all, you understand that.  But in the end, sometimes difficult choices need to be made.  Sometimes we need to face the consequences of our decisions.  I trust and pray that God will use this experience to bring all the guys in the house into a closer relationship with Him…

Thanks in advance for your prayers.