Quest was never quite able to get his life in order...
Addicted to drugs since he was about seventeen years old, his life, according to him, has been "a roller coaster of ups and downs." Other than graduating from high school, he admits to having few successes, other than marrying his childhood sweetheart and having a son. But even these two happy events have been rocky ones.
Struggling with his is addictions and the accompanying criminal behaviors that he needed to help support both his little family and his habit, kept him in and out of jail, along with varying stretches of unemployment. It was a collision course awaiting a crash, and that's what happened. Arrested for committing an armed robbery and pistol whipping the store owner who tried to resist, Quest copped out to a sentence of seven and a half to fifteen years.
He admits to getting a break because this was his first felony, and it was a violent one at that. While all the other arrests he managed to accumulate were for misdemeanors for such as shoplifting, criminal trespass, driving under the influence, possession of burglary tools, and possession of lessor amounts of drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, and pain pills.
Quest's wife was certainly a devoted woman. She stuck with him as he did a string of relatively short jail stints over the years, and as they struggled to pay the bills and tried to make ends meet. But, as Quest put it, "Her patience ran out." Their relationship became rocky. His promises to quit using drugs held her in place for a while. But his repeated failures slowly wore away whatever hope she had.
I first met Quest when he transferred to Shawangunk from another prison. We'd talk on occasion, and a couple of times I helped him write letters home. Heartbroken that his wife filed for a divorce that was granted, which I believe he now understands was inevitable, the most crushing event came when she also filed for full custody of their son, and got it.
Even though he adored his son and never abused him, the fact that he was a bad example for his child and could not support him, was enough reason to give her full custody. The decision also severely limited the contact he can have with his son, both now and in the future.
Judging from the talks Quest and I had thus far, he absolutely loves his son. He took him to his child's soccer games and would sit in the stands rooting for him. Quest told me they spent lots of time together. But now, as he put it, his son got "swept away." His grief is palpable. His emotions are raw. Quest's relationship with his child is now uncertain.
Quest knows I'm a Christian. We've had our talks about God, and I shared my faith with him. He was also given a study Bible that's written at a level where he can understand what he reads. He has also attended several chapel services, but has yet to receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
What I do know, however, is that Quest is still deep into drugs. He gets high regularly. He makes verbal promises to quit. But in the year or so that I've known him, he stays "doped up." Yet I won't stop praying for him, and I will remain as someone he can talk to. He knows he has a shoulder to lean on.
Meanwhile, Jesus and I patiently await his decision. Even now the Lord is gently knocking on the door of Quest's heart, hoping he will open the door to let Him in. The rest is up to Quest.
D.B.
Note: Quest is not his real name.
Struggling with his is addictions and the accompanying criminal behaviors that he needed to help support both his little family and his habit, kept him in and out of jail, along with varying stretches of unemployment. It was a collision course awaiting a crash, and that's what happened. Arrested for committing an armed robbery and pistol whipping the store owner who tried to resist, Quest copped out to a sentence of seven and a half to fifteen years.
He admits to getting a break because this was his first felony, and it was a violent one at that. While all the other arrests he managed to accumulate were for misdemeanors for such as shoplifting, criminal trespass, driving under the influence, possession of burglary tools, and possession of lessor amounts of drugs such as amphetamines, barbiturates, and pain pills.
Quest's wife was certainly a devoted woman. She stuck with him as he did a string of relatively short jail stints over the years, and as they struggled to pay the bills and tried to make ends meet. But, as Quest put it, "Her patience ran out." Their relationship became rocky. His promises to quit using drugs held her in place for a while. But his repeated failures slowly wore away whatever hope she had.
I first met Quest when he transferred to Shawangunk from another prison. We'd talk on occasion, and a couple of times I helped him write letters home. Heartbroken that his wife filed for a divorce that was granted, which I believe he now understands was inevitable, the most crushing event came when she also filed for full custody of their son, and got it.
Even though he adored his son and never abused him, the fact that he was a bad example for his child and could not support him, was enough reason to give her full custody. The decision also severely limited the contact he can have with his son, both now and in the future.
Judging from the talks Quest and I had thus far, he absolutely loves his son. He took him to his child's soccer games and would sit in the stands rooting for him. Quest told me they spent lots of time together. But now, as he put it, his son got "swept away." His grief is palpable. His emotions are raw. Quest's relationship with his child is now uncertain.
Quest knows I'm a Christian. We've had our talks about God, and I shared my faith with him. He was also given a study Bible that's written at a level where he can understand what he reads. He has also attended several chapel services, but has yet to receive Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
What I do know, however, is that Quest is still deep into drugs. He gets high regularly. He makes verbal promises to quit. But in the year or so that I've known him, he stays "doped up." Yet I won't stop praying for him, and I will remain as someone he can talk to. He knows he has a shoulder to lean on.
Meanwhile, Jesus and I patiently await his decision. Even now the Lord is gently knocking on the door of Quest's heart, hoping he will open the door to let Him in. The rest is up to Quest.
D.B.
Note: Quest is not his real name.
