A Man or an Angel?

A man who had spent the last 20 years of his life away from God, most of the time fighting the demons of alcoholism, lay in a Washington State jail with six or eight other drunks and drug addicts. In misery and defeat, scant inches from the other hapless souls, he lay on a narrow cot with his face turned to the wall in the silence, for none of his vile companions wanted to talk, and neither did he.

He heard the door of "the tank" open and close, and in all of that dim, foul smelling atmosphere, a very young man came over directly to where this man miserably lay. "I am a heroin addict, and you are an alcoholic" he simply stated, and stood awaiting a response. The first thought to come to his mind was to tell him that he was in jail for unwittingly violating a "no contact order", but in those few moments (as only God can do) this dear man openly admitted that, "Yes, I am an alcoholic"...and said it more to his God than to the young "addict".

In that moment, and just that briefly, he knew that he would never take another drink, and that he was through running from God, and had peace and forgiveness with God. God can, and does, communicate with us in ways that not only defy description, but are more direct and certain and effective than any human voice or logic. I marvel at the grace of God, and rejoice that He is the same today in His delivering power as He ever has been!

Was "this young heroin addict" a man or an angel? We do not know...but we wonder?