September 23

Good morning!

4:00 came way too early this morning! As I write this, I'm headed to west Tx to check on some work. It's a pretty somber mood in my organization right now.

About 3 years ago, a young man named Eric showed up at my outfit hunting work.

Now, you have to understand we are an outfit that is truly country and truly Texas with a little western heritage thrown in, so we were skeptics when this young man with tattoos all over his face showed up, but I have had a lot of chances in my own life, so we gave it a try. Right away I could tell the demon Eric dealt with was alcohol, and for a small man (125 lbs or so) he could really put it away. Not only was it hard for him to put down, but it had a horrible effect on his character. He would become manipulative, and even mean.

It's funny sometimes how God works. After many rounds about alcohol, one trip to town about two years ago set Eric on a different path. He was pulled over and given a DWI in one of my work trucks. In fact, they made him take the field sobriety test on the square in my home town, right in front of my biggest customer's office. What great advertisement.

But, the silver lining was, Eric got sober. I never saw such a complete metamorphosis in a person. He became reliable and trustworthy, to the point that he was handling a lot of business for me.

Fast forward to late last year, when my divorce began. We started noticing quirks in Eric's behavior that led us to believe he might be dabbling in alcohol again. Then, as my divorce mediation approached this year, he became more and more unreliable, then one morning, about 4:30, I received a text, citing differences with his foreman, who he'd worked with for 2 1/2 years, as the reason, he quit and had left the place, with no prospects or a new job.

It didn't make any sense.

Until the divorce mediation. Either my ex convinced him, or through alcohol, he perceived some injustice from me deserving of retaliation, but he became her informant in my divorce, a complete turncoat and the picture of disloyalty.

The evidence of what he had done was all over the discovery from the other side during mediation, but as it turned out, really had no bearing on the outcome, other than Eric was without a home or job, and drinking again.

Yesterday, I received word, after drinking heavily for an extended period, Eric passed away night before last.

Yes, I was disappointed in him, but what a waste of a life. For no more than trivial information, my ex coerced him to give himself no way out to his own mind, to go against his job and his home, and to give those up. I don't even know if she knows or cares that he succomed to his habit. She just used him up and threw him away, as is her MO.

I wrote yesterday about forgiveness, and possibly, Eric is my biggest trial by fire.

He is forgiven. I have to lay that down if I'm going to be a man of my word.

I will be making my way to his funeral in Colorado as soon as I learn of arrangements, and my prayers, as well as condolences, and heartfelt sorrow are with his family that he got involved in the divorce, and chose to support a side that never would or never will care about him.

I choose not to be that way.

I choose to forgive.

Gof please forgive him for turning to alcohol, and her for exploiting that weakness.

CW