Jesus Walks Among Us

Story 8: The Addict

A boy holds a syringe in his hand.

"Don't you want to feel free?" His friend asks.

"Well yeah!"

"Then it will help you!"

"It's just that I have read an article and-"

"Oh please! Are you really going to trust some article over your friend?"

"I guess not!"

"Then do it, Lewis!"

Lewis takes the syringe and injects it into his left arm. He takes a deep breath. He releases the syringe from his arm.

"That didn't feel so bad."

"I will give you some more tomorrow," His friend says.

Lewis gets in his car and heads home. The next day, he meets his friend at school.

"Do you have it?" Lewis asks.

Lewis' friend pulls out a bag full of drugs

"Take your pick, my man!" His friend says.

Lewis takes a syringe out of the bag and injects himself again. He does it again during lunch and after school.

"I feel such a rush. It feels so good!"

"I have to go. My mom wants me home early tonight."

"See ya tomorrow man!"

Lewis gets into his car and turns it in. He begins driving home. Suddenly his vision becomes blurry.

"Why does my head feel funny? Why is everything becoming fuzzy?" He asks himself.

He hangs his head forward and his hands let go of the steering wheel. He leans back into his chair and the car begins to swerve around. Suddenly there is a loud crash. The car crashes into a pickup truck. Lewis closes his eyes and passes out. He hears footsteps approaching. After a moment his eyes open. He sees a man towering over him and realizes he is out of his car and on the ground.

"How did I get here?"

"I pulled you out of your car. Are you okay?" The man asks.

"Yeah I am fine! What's it to ya?"

"I just want to see that you are okay."

"Well thanks but I need to get home."

Lewis begins walking to his car. He feels a hand on his shoulder

"Are you sure that you want to drive back home?"

"Trust me! I've got this!"

"If you say so!" The man.

"Thanks for helping me Mr.-um-who are you?"

"I am not so sure that it is safe for you to drive back home, Lewis."

Lewis' eyes widen in awe.

"How do you know my name?"

"Who do you think created you, Lewis?"

Lewis falls down in disbelief.

"I must have taken too many drugs."

"This is no hallucination, Lewis. I am Jesus."

"But how? Why are you here?"

"You are hurting yourself and opening yourself to something worse than what this world can bring."

"I have no idea what you're talking about! Just leave me alone!"

"I don't want you to destroy yourself, Lewis! Please give me the syringe!"

"I just want to be free!"

"Do you really think that this will bring you freedom because it won't! This will only bring you your destruction."

"I am not giving it to you! You are not the boss of me! Who are you to know what's best for me?!"

"I know what's best for you because I created you, Lewis! This drug has become a temptation in your life that is turning you from me! I can't bare to see you hurt yourself like this! Please hand me the drug!"

"It's all I have! It's all that gives me comfort!"

"Why do you depend on this poison so much? What joy does it bring to you?"

"It-It-"

"Are you doing it because you think that you need it or because other people that you know are doing it?"

"I-I just want to feel like I belong."

"I understand."

"Why do you care about me, Jesus?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I can give you a million reasons why."

"Perhaps but I don't care about those reasons."

"I can't stop!"

"You can't or you won't?"

Lewis hangs his head down in shame.

"That was not meant to make you feel ashamed. It was meant to help you ask yourself an important question."

"And what is that?"

"How important is fitting in over doing what's best for yourself?"

"You are right. I need to stop. I will stop."

"Not on your own, Lewis. There are many things that you can't do on your own."

"Then how?"

"Trust in me for I will guide you."

Jesus hugs Lewis and begins to walk away.

"Will you still be around?"

"I am always around, Lewis."