TIK

I destroy homes,
I tear families apart,
take hold of your children, and that’s just the start.
I’m more costly than diamonds,
more precious than gold.
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.

If you need me, remember:
I’m easily found.
I live all around you – in schools and in town.
I live with the rich,
I live with the poor,
I live down the street, and maybe next door.

I’m made in a lab,
but not like you think,
I can be made under the kitchen sink.
In your child’s closet,
and even in the woods.
If it scares you to death, well it certainly should.

I have many names,
but there’s one you know best,
I’m sure you’ve heard of me,
my name is Crystal Meth.
My power is awesome,
try me you’ll see.
But if you do, you may never break free.

Just try me once,
and I might let you go,
but try me twice,
and I’ll own your soul.
When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie,
you'll do what you have to – just to get high.

The crimes you’ll commit from my narcotic charms
will be worth the pleasure you’ll feel in your arms,
- your lungs and your nose.
You’ll lie to your mother,
you'll steal from your dad,
when you see their tears, you should feel sad.

But you’ll forget your morals and how you were raised,
I’ll be your conscience,
I’ll teach you my ways.
I’ll take kids from their parents,
and parents from their kids.
I turn people from God, and separate friends.

I’ll take everything from you,
your looks and your pride.
I’ll be with you always
– right by your side.
You’ll give up everything;
– your family, your home, your friends, your money,
then you’ll be alone.

I’ll take and take, till you have nothing more to give.
When I’m finished with you,
you'll be lucky to live.
If you try me – be warned – this is no game,
if given the chance, I’ll drive you insane.

I’ll ravish your body,
I’ll control your mind,
I’ll own you completely, your soul will be mine.
The nightmares I’ll give you while you’re lying in bed,
the voices you’ll hear, from inside your head.
The sweats, the shakes, the visions you’ll see,
I want you to know – they are all gifts from me.

But then it’s too late,
and you’ll know in your heart,
that you are mine, and we shall not part.
You’ll regret that you tried me,
they always do, but you came to me, not I to you.
You knew this would happen,
many times you were told,
but you challenged my powers, and chose to be bold.

You could have said no,
and just walked away,
if you could live that day over,
now, what would you say?

I’ll be your master
You will be my slave
I’ll even go with you,
when you go to your grave.

Now that you’ve met me, what will you do?
Will you try me or not?
It’s all up to you.
I can bring you more misery than words can tell,
come,
take my hand,
let me lead you to hell!

(this poem was written by a young girl who was arrested for possession of illegal drugs - she was freed from jail but as her vivid words reveal, she was still a captive to this deadly substance)

I found it in the Christmas edition of our church's monthly magazine without any names to accredit. As a community, we've lost several young people to suicides resulting from the hopelessness they reach from their drug-addictions.

These families are our responsibility and God has provided us with his church to live in authentic vulnerability among one another:
to be honest about your child's alcohol problem and admit your sense of failure as a parent,
to ask for help when your wife is slipping into depression and you don't know how to fix her any more,
to confess your obsession with pornography to a caring brother that can help you carry your burdens toward recovery,
to admit your fledgling affair to your confronting sister who can pray for a new job away from your tempting colleague.

Real Christianity involves more than believing the true doctrine, living the moral lifestyle and staying busy with holy activities:
it is about showing non-judgemental love toward those of us who make it hard for you to stand our sad company,
it is about loving those immoral people around you who have messed up our own chances through our unwise decisions,
it is about having time to befriend the hopeless loved ones of such relational hemorrhage.

True Christianity demands that we look at other human beings through the eyes of Jesus Christ:
who drank wine with materialistic government officials,
befriended lonely sex-workers
and hugged repugnant HIV/AIDS patients.

To help those humiliated creatures feel as comfortable in your gracious presence as we do in His.