On January 26th, my oldest child turned 15. Being the excited father I am, I wanted to use some old photos for a social media post to commemorate this special day. While rummaging through my ancient tub of photos, I came across this one which stopped me dead in my tracks.
This particular photo was taken in the early summer of 2001. I was 17 years old, and I may have been smiling, but things were far from being a pleasant occasion. See, I was in the first couple of weeks into a yearlong stay at the first of many institutions due to my chosen lifestyle. Whether it was my drug use or the numerous run-ins with the judicial system, at the young age of 17, I was learning the ins and outs for what would become a norm for me.
I grew up in these types of facilities. I was always the youngest and so whatever the older guys were willing to teach me, I was willing to listen. I learned how to shave in these facilities. I learned how to keep my areas clean and orderly. I learned what and who to look out for in these places. I learned how to manipulate the systems in them, and I learned about relationships on the ‘outside’ (usually the worst advice possible). Fortunately for me, I learned something else during this particular stay. See, this was a long-term, faith-based program and several timeslots throughout each day were set aside for various religious activities. This is where I found the Word of God, or should I say, where the Word found me.
Having been raised in the church, I was no stranger to the Bible, God, or many of the teachings that come with my faith, but I had yet to fully understand how they related to my life in present times. One day, shortly after my 18th birthday I was reading scriptures and it’s as if a light came on. Somewhere in the midst of my significantly immature thinking, I was able to apply the teachings to my everyday life inside of that facility. I began to read and internalize the Word differently. I would fast regularly and memorize smaller verses. I spoke differently and paid closer attention during church service. And out of nowhere, it was as if a mission was placed directly on my heart from the Lord. Someone had to warn these young men about making the same decisions I did before it was too late for them. And that someone was going to be me.
This is when the seed was planted for what would become the H.O.M.E. Center of Asheville…