don't ||ASSume||...you know what that does.

     Watching my husband pluck feverishly at his guitar strings and scratching down barely-legible lyrics, he nervously waited for his 2 fellow band members to call him back about setting up a practice time. The gig was in t-minus 24 hrs. and he knew that if they didn't get together soon, they'd be scrambling for "cool" on stage. As the minutes turned to hours, he picked up his phone as the second guitarist called.
     "Hey man,(name not inserted for privacy) can't come to practice, guess he got hung up at work..."
Almost instantly I saw the irritation well up in my husband as he exhausted the fact that 'if you don't practice, you don't get paid for the gig'; and rightfully so, if the gig is paying a couple Ben Franklin's a pop. But, my husband being all heart, told (name not inserted for privacy) he could play the songs he knew. The gig; a success.
   Packin' up their gear later that night my husband offered to take (name not inserted for privacy), the foggy, mountainous, and dark hour and a half ride home. They laughed about their wild early years and pre-pubescent ways. One thing led to another, and as the conversation slid into a more serious one, (name not inserted for privacy) opened up to my husband and in tears told him he knew he needed to change his life, but struggled to get out. He had been going through drug, drinking, family and a whole load of other problems that were still laughing in his face. When my husband told me what happened the car ride back I thought to myself, maybe that whole gig was to set up the scenario for (name not inserted for privacy) to find help, to have someone to open up to. to have a listening ear. I was just thankful my husband let him play that night; who knows what would have happened had he brushed him off (like I'm sure many others had). Or had he tore him down, or criticized his playing. You never know what someone has gone through until you take the time to listen....  
    Sitting in church Sunday morning, crusty-eyed and exhausted from the late night before, I pinched myself in hopes that would give me a jolt so I wouldn't have to pretend I was praying the whole service. The Pastor was speaking on the Life of Jesus. He read from the Sermon on the mount. Before I knew it I was entrenched in the thought that we should open up our house to (name not inserted for privacy). Only 2 months married, I thought it was the sleepy talking...but, it wasn't. My consience bombarded my mind showing me that if someone had not taken in my husband when he was a drug addicted, depressed, and homeless man...I wouldn't have the opportunity to be his wife that I do today.  I quickly pulled out of piece of dirt paper that had lipgloss on it from being in the bottom of my purse and scribbled down "I think I need to suggest we let (name not inserted for privacy) stay with us while he gets his feet on the ground." He nodded and said nothing about it untill after the car ride back from church.
    Later on that day, we called (name not inserted for privacy) giving our proposition. My husband told him that for as long as he needed, he would have a safe place to rest, eat, sleep, and get his stuff together at our house. (name not inserted for privacy) began to cry as he accepted the offer. My husband made sure he knew that if he was going to partake in certain things, he must check them at the door, and our house will honor God, but we will show him support like God has placed people in our lives who have done the same.
     In writing this I hope it helps someone...my husband's example sure helped me. If it weren't for people extending help and support, where would you be? If you had addictions and everyone blew you off as careless or unstable, who would you trust to help you? Take the time. Listen to someone. YOU could be their bridge to help.