Saying ‘yes’ to life saves a life

Yesterday afternoon I had a choice to make—stay home after spending three days in Rochester during a leadership conference with my fellow Salvation Army officers, or go back to my workplace at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul and teach Cub Scouts classes in the evening.

I chose to say “yes” to life, just as we had been challenged to do at the conference by retired General John Larsson. To say “yes” to life is to choose not to miss out on the sacred tasks God has in store for us.

After teaching my first pack of Cub Scouts, I went to the dining hall for Family Supper Club. My wife stopped me and said, “There’s a young man in the foyer who said he was just released from a mental institution. I don’t know if he should be around the children. You should go talk to him.” I did as I was told.

The 21-year-old man’s name was Mitch. His first words were, “I think I’ve gone crazy.” I asked, “Why do you think that?” He said, “I just drove here from Duluth in about 90 minutes. I was going 120 mph all the way looking for an underpass to run into to end my life. But I didn’t have the guts to do it. Then my car ran out of gas on 7th Street and I walked 12 blocks to get here.” I asked him, “What made you come to The Salvation Army?” He said, “I don’t know. I just did.”

Then Mitch began to tell his story. He had not left a mental institution, but thought he needed to go to one. He has suffered from severe depression since age 12. Six weeks ago his doctors had prescribed him a new medication. For the past two weeks he was having suicidal thoughts and felt the time had finally come to end his life.

For the next 30 minutes or so, I talked to him about life and the Lord. His response was, “If there even is a God.” Then he asked, “Do you really believe there is a God?” I said, “Not only do I believe there is a God, but I believe that He sent you here. I believe God planned for you to run out of gas down the street and I believe that He directed you to The Salvation Army. Mitch, God does not want you to die. He wants you to live.”

I told him that we needed to call his parents, otherwise I would have to call the police (for he was also considering jumping off a building). I called his mother. She said that he had left Duluth early in the day with their car and had no idea what had happened to him. When I told her the story, she began to sob. I offered to stay with Mitch until they arrived from Duluth, but his father was so concerned that he might run again that he asked me to call the police. So I did.

Before he got into the squad car with the police officer, I asked him for his car keys so that I could help his parents find their car. His parents arrived three hours later, got their car and left for Regions Hospital.

Our front desk receptionist later told me that Mitch had walked into the corps hours earlier and was hanging around waiting for something.

I am so proud that the doors of The Salvation Army were open for Mitch to come in. I am so proud that our staff allowed him to hang around the building. And I am so humbled that the Spirit of God led me to say “yes” to life so that He could save a life.