BLACK'S STORY and others

Before I tell you Black's story, I want to share a few short stories that came to my attention this week.

On Tuesday, Jacob, one of our staff members had to take his 3 yr old son Caleb to the doctor to have two abscesses drained. It was painful for little Caleb.  Jacob texted Doyle this: "As Calebs father I sat and held his hand and tried to comfort him. The kids downtown don't have that like yours and Caleb has. No comfort, no father, no hand to hold." No father to comfort or hold their hands and tell them it's ok.

This past week a 15 year old girl was telling Doyle about her past. Her mother is a heroin addict, her father is a meth addict, and when she was 9, she held her older brother in her arms as he died from gunshots.  No father to hold her hand, to comfort her, to tell her she was loved and cared for.  I thought, and how can I or anyone else expect her to act like a "normal" 15 year old?

I found out about another young man who, when he turned 16, was given a present by his parents - they taught him how to shoot up heroin the right way.

One of our regulars came in Friday with a Kevlar vest on!  He said he had been shot at.

Now for Black's story.  Black or Davon Gray, is a big African American man that I have become friends with, and his street name is Black. Here is his story in his  own words.
"My life at home was pretty different from most people. My father was an alcoholic and addicted to crack cocaine; my mother was prone to physical abuse and believing any negative thought about me. So at the age of fifteenn I became homeless.

Being a homeless teen was simple, you had no one but the police to tell you what to do and you only had to listen to them if you wanted to or they caught you.  However, I found it hard to eat and buy things. Being a 6ft black guy makes it hard for people to want to just give you money.  Yet it is real easy to get drugs like weed, heroin, cocaine, meth, mushrooms, and even acid. Oh, and alcohol is practically on tap! I lived the life of a slut, partying and robbing people.

I lived this life for about 6 years before it got boring. However I did not realize it was my lifestyle that needed to change.  Doyle Robinson and the staff at Sox Place helped me figure that out.  I spent the next 4 years of my life trying to change my ways. With Sox Place and their love, like a light guiding me more than I think they even knew.  They helped me with getting housing, learning better people skills, even finding work when I  needed it. Without Sox Place I have no idea where I would be today.

My name is Davon Gray and now thanks to Sox Place I have a goal in my life, I know how to live and I feel loved!"

On the upside, this last week we had a group from Harvest Time church in Ft. Smith, AR, come in to serve us for two days.  A delightful group of young people they were too.  Going through the Master's Commission and learning how to serve.  They can come back anytime.

And just had a great family from my church in Centerton, AR, New Life Christian Church, stop and visit for 4 hours.  Hal and Shauna Douglas and their two daughters and their daughters can't wait to get back again and help us here at the center.  Talk about making me feel loved, they did! Thanks Hal and Shauna for the prayers over me and Sox Place.

The rest of ya'll come visit when you can.

Troy