But the wind is not my topic today: Teen Challenge is. A group of 12 men from Teen Challenge Saskatchewan visited my church, Strasbourg Alliance, on Sunday. They sang and spoke about their experiences and how they are being transformed.
After the presentation the men visited in the foyer awhile. I talked to John, who has been in the program for 5 months with 7 left. His addictions were alcohol and work and they were ruining his marriage. He said he used to work hard (up to 100 hours a week!) and play hard (i.e., party). Interestingly, his drinking never interfered with his performance as an employee. He made enough money that he could give his wife anything she wanted, but he didn’t realize that she and the kids would trade it all for 10 minutes of his time. Then last spring she left him.
This was a real wake up call, so John applied for Teen Challenge. He was accepted in May and had one week to get ready. When he asked for a year off from his job they were understandably shocked and asked why. He told them, “You know my wife has left me. My drinking is a problem and I need to get it under control.” His employers asked, “Why do you need a year? Take 2 weeks, see a counselor and you’ll be fine.” But John was resolute: “No, I need a year.” So his employers said, “Okay, you’ve given us 10 good years, we can give you one year.” Not only did they give him a year’s leave, they also paid his income IN FULL until disability insurance kicked in! So his wife is completely cared for. In fact, without John at home drinking their money, his wife is actually getting ahead on some of their debts!
Not only is John’s family in a better financial position, his marriage is being healed. “We never really dated,” he says. They lived together for 2 years and have been married for 6, but now with occasional visits, weekly phone calls, and lots of letters, they are discovering each other in brand new ways and the newfound intimacy amazes them. John was given a one day leave for his anniversary and says he and his wife connected better in 6 hours than they had in 6 years.
They are also discovering God together. In June, John’s wife came for a visit and he told her Jesus’ words, that if a man leaves mother and father and houses and lands and even wife and children for Jesus’ sake, it will be returned to him 100 fold. His wife responded, “You can come home, but you won’t be bringing any of that with you!” Well, since then she has become a Christian and she’s excited about John “bringing that” with him.
“I’m a new man,” says John. When he finishes the program, he and his wife are going to renew their vows. They are not the same and their family is getting a brand new start.
Teen Challenge was started 50 years ago by David Wilkerson in New York City. The story has been told in the movie The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada.
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