Whiskey-soaked Promises

Whiskey-soaked Promises

Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins . . . “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Psalm 107:17, 19

Friday nights in the ER are usually hopping. One particular Friday had been very quiet, but then it started to rain, and soon the ER was back in business.

The roads in Cheatham County are slick and curvy—a bad combination, especially when mixed with motorcycles and alcohol. Unfortunately, there is a popular bar located near one of those curves. The local watering hole has a regular crowd, but occasionally someone passing through will stop in for a drink. When the whiskey soaks in, people can become a little too brazen, and one of the locals might decide to correct the situation—with his fists.

That’s what happened on that rainy Friday evening. A fight broke out inside the bar and spilled out into the parking lot. During the fray, the stranger got punched in the eye. Wanting to avoid a bigger beatdown, he hopped onto his motorcycle and took off. As you might imagine, driving drunk, on a motorcycle, on an unfamiliar road, on a dark and rainy night, with only one good eye, wasn’t going to end well. It didn’t.

The young man ended up in the ER, where I spent a lot of time cleaning road debris out of his wounds. I couldn’t do much for his broken ankle, though, other than to splint it and recommend a good orthopedist for him to see the next morning. I ended up putting more than sixty stitches in his body.

As I finished up, the man said, “You know, I almost got killed out there.”

“Yes, indeed. The good Lord had to be looking out for you.”

“While you were sewing me up, I decided I need to turn over a new leaf and start going to church like my momma keeps telling me.”

“That’s a great idea,” I said. “I know that Jesus would welcome you with open arms.”

I don’t know if he kept his drunken promise, but I pray that he did.

TODAY’S RX

If you want to live a happy and healthy life, avoid excessive alcohol, brazen words, motorcycles and curvy roads in the rain, and sucker punches to the eye. For good measure, turn over a new leaf with God.

Father, I confess that my sin and rebellion have taken me down roads that have only led to harm. Forgive me for not looking to you in these moments. Straighten my path so that I may honor you with my life.