There Will Be A Reckoning ( Cloned )

By Joe Sullivan, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

“I don’t really see the point anymore.” 

I pulled into the driveway of a typical middle-class house with a beautiful lawn and plenty of trees in Mesa to pick up a passenger in my medical transport job. 

Dylan got in and immediately went off, “I can’t stand taking my dose. I keep taking it for a while and then I stop, and I end up on a binge. And then go back to rehab and the dose. I have been in this cycle for years and I can’t get out of it. I don’t know what to do.” 

His voice quivered and I noticed real desperation. “Now I can’t sleep because I fear I won’t wake up. It is driving me mad.” This is serious, I thought. 

“I never thought about suicide before,” he said. I told Dylan to erase that thought and that he would get out of the downward cycle. 

“But AA just doesn’t work for me,” he complained. Dylan did not look too good and his mood was even worse. “I am going to get fired. I know it.” 

Another negative thought came out of him. “My brother is even worse,” he added. I needed to change the direction of this downward spiral fast and in a way that was real and relatable to him right now. 

“You have a job! You are functioning. You are concerned about your brother. You want to help him.” “Yeah but….” “But what?! You are just discouraged. I can see you have heart. Listen, when you fall, just get back up. No matter how many times, just get back up. Never stop getting back up. That is all that matters. God sees that. He understands. Don’t lose heart. Don’t lose hope. Just keep getting back up.” 

Dylan straightened up. “I got a good driver today.” 

“Everybody has a demon. I am no different than you. My demon is not your demon, but it is most definitely a demon, and I have to do battle just the same.” 

Dylan smiled and said, “Just keep getting back up.” God sees the heart. We just need to trust Him.