I was contracted to remodel a Farm Home Administration home in Eloy, Az. On the last day of the job, the carpet and pad was delivered in the morning and carpet layer was to follow shortly after. At 11:00 a.m., a drunk, tired, and depressed carpet layer finally showed up. He proceeded to set in the corner of the family room eating his lunch and then dozing off. When waking him about 12:00 noon, He was still too drunk to get to work. The inspectors were to come at 5pm. And the carpet was to be in.

I took him down to a restraunt and filled him with coffee and explained his responsibilities. He explained that he had been in an accident without insurance and drunk. He totaled someone’s car and put a family in the hospital. The court was requiring him to pay restitution by paying for the car and hospital bills. He was on 5 year probation but would go to jail if he couldn’t pay the monthly amount set by the judge. I helped him and finished the carpet just in time for the inspection.

I also had learned that he had a wife and 7 children, but his wife had kicked him out for drunkenness. He was trying to pay the court and support this family with no place to live except the car, job sites or with a friend.

Whenever I had carpet repair jobs on future remodel projects, I would call him to do the work in a plan to take the gospel to him. He eventually considered me his friend and confided his struggles to me. I clearly pointed him to Jesus Christ, the Word and faith. I worked with and ministered to him for probably 2 to 3 years.

During one of his drunken sprees, he didn’t pay the court fees for restitution, his wife and child support. The police came out to the job and handcuffed him and took him to prison to spend the rest of his probation time behind bars.

While spending this time in prison, he read the Bible I took him and got involved in the prison ministry and went to services. He always told me that he wanted to get cleaned up, then he would follow the Lord and come to church. I explained over and over again that it was by Grace that God would save him and while he was a still a sinner.

I didn’t know that his health was declining in prison. (His Liver) His Mother called me on a Saturday morning and said that he had died at the Maricopa County Medical Center. She said he knew he was dying and wanted me to do his funeral. Well, Monday morning after he had died, I received a letter in the mail from him written and sent shortly before they took him to the hospital. He had colored a cartoon on the front of the envelope of himself sitting on his bunk and what looked like me standing there and he talking to me. The letter said he was feeling very sick and sorry for the short letter. And signed it, Good in Jesus, Your brother, Don.

I get very choked up when sharing this, either one on one or during preaching. This is what God can do through one who will reach out to the lost, get them into the Word and point them to Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to work. I could not share anything good about Don but I could share the God who chose to save Don.