Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it.”
Twenty-four years of being a cop
exposed me to the evil that men do in ways I could never imagine. I witnessed
firsthand how selfish choices driven by addiction, greed and rage destroyed the
lives of the innocent. I did not fully understand what this meant until the day
I responded to a 911 call to investigate an overdose death in Santa Barbara;
and in a moment of heartbreak, I also saw how the Power of God will triumph
over evil.
The death happened in a one
bedroom apartment on the east side of town. I arrived at the complex
and walked into what amounted to a 600 square foot living space; through the
front door, down a short hall way, passing the bedroom and bath. The hallway
opened to an area with the kitchen on one side and a couch and workbench on the
other. The dining/living area was separated by a wood framed, cloth screen. It
seemed odd that such a small area was separated by the screen. The body was
lying on the floor of the living area between a couch and a workbench.
In the workbench was drug
paraphernalia, syringes and other evidence that indicated sales of
narcotics. As I searched through the
house, I figured out why the apartment was divided as it was. The dead man had
two daughters (6 and 8) and they lived with him. They were at school when the
overdose happened. The dad used the living area of the house to deal and use
his dope. It was also the place that he slept. The single bedroom, bath and
kitchen area were for the girls. Their room was equipped with a bunk bed, TV
and VCR, children’s books, board games and all their clothes. It was like there
was a studio apartment set up inside of the one bedroom space. I found out that
the girls were not allowed in the living room area of the apartment to keep them “safe.”
I could not fathom why a parent
would subject his daughters to such dangerous living conditions. Buyers would
show up at all hours to get drugs. I imagined that at night, these little girls
would not feel safe in their own home because strangers would be coming and
going, preventing the girls from sleeping in safety. At least there was a lock
on the bedroom door. Parents can be so overprotective.
I noticed the girls' school photos hanging on a
wall. My heart stopped when I looked at the pictures. They were beautiful young
ladies but did not have the appearance of healthy 2nd and 4th
graders. They looked ill at ease. They appeared haggard, resigned to a life of
uncertainty, stress and fear. Home was not a safe place for them. It was their
eyes that got to me. They had puffy, dark circles under their eyes from very
little sleep night after night. I had seen those eyes once before. They were my
wife’s.
Early in our marriage, Margie told
me stories about her growing up in a home defined entirely by alcoholism and
violence. Her school pictures from kindergarten through fifth grade all had the
same look: the same puffy, dark circles under her eyes and the same face of sadness.
Margie talked about the drunken brawls, the police responses, the strangers in
and out at all hours of the day and night. I just did not comprehend the impact
of such a life on a 6 year old little girl.
I went home that night and told Margie about my day. We talked about how Margie would sleep in her clothes so
she was always ready to take action. She would hide under her bed or behind and
armoire so she would feel safe. Margie is quick to point out that God was with
her through all of this. In fact, He told her to move to California many times
during her late teens and early twenties. She listened and escaped to her
promised land on the west coast. She would accept Christ and be baptized three months
after she arrived in California and a few years later a life insurance salesman
would knock on her door. She did not buy insurance from him, but she did marry
him! (Yes, I got the better end of the
deal on this.) March 4th will mark 23 years of marriage for us and we have
three beautiful daughters. We are blessed.
I pray now and then for the two
little girls I met briefly in front of an elementary school. I do know that Margie
is a testimony that even in the total depravity of human beings, when it
appears that one little girl growing up in the 1970’s and two little girls
growing up in the 1980’s would have no chance, the Power of God triumphs over
evil and brings light into a dark world.
Matthew 19:14, "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
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