Changing for the Better

Mitch Albom has written a book entitled "Have a Little Faith." In the book he references the life of Henry Covington, a boyhood friend who became a prodigal. He discussed Henry's journey downward into crime and drugs eventually ending up in prison. When Henry got out he tried to go straight, but when he lost his job, he fell back into crime and became a drug dealer.

One day he made a fatal mistake and became a user of crack cocaine. He lied to support his habit, resorting to such extremes as wounding himself in order to justify the misisng drugs. One night he invaded a suppliers home and seized money and drugs. That was the bottom and he knew the suppliers would come after him.

He spent the night behind the trash cans praying that God would save him. He promised that if God would help him live til moring, he would become a Christ follower. He lived and started the long road back. He became first a worker and then a leader in an inner city ministry called "Am I My Brother's Keeper" where he helped to minister to the needs of the homeless.

In one of his sermons he referenced the Apostle Paul who once was a persecuter of the church and now was a leader in the church. He mused how those who must have observed Paul must have questioned whether he had really changed for the better. Then he adds these comments:

"When people tell me I'm good, my reponse is,'I'm trying.' But there's some people that knew me back when . . . and when they hear I'm the pastor of a church, all of a sudden . . . 'No, I say. You knew me. You knew that person, but you don't know the person that I'm trying to become."

Isn't it great to know that with God things don't have to stay the same? In Christ we can grow and change.