THEY CALLED ME MR 8

WHEN THEY SAW ME COMING, THEY SCRAMBLED TO GET MY "ORDER" READY.
ONCE A  WEEK I WOULD SHOW UP TO MAKE MY PURCHASE; 8 NICKLE BAGS
OF POT: 5 DOLLARS PER BAG = 40 DOLLARS, TIMES 4 = 160 DOLLARS PER MONTH
TIMES 12 MONTHS = 1,920 DOLLARS.
FOR 12 YEARS I PURCHASED POT ON THE SAME CORNER...
1,920 DOLLARS TIMES 12 YEARS = 23,040 DOLLARS, NUFF SAID.....
I KNOW THAT IN SOCIETIES EYES I AM A BUM, A NOBODY. IN MOMENTS OF PRIDE
I WANT PEOPLE TO LOOK AT ME AND THINK "OH, WHAT A GREAT MAN HE IS".
BUT PRIDE IS ONE OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, SO, MY PRIDE HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED.
THOSE TIMES WHEN I FEEL BAD ABOUT MYSELF, I REMEMBER THAT THE
SON OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST, THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH LAID DOWN HIS
LIFE FOR THIS BUM, THIS NOBODY....AND NOT ME ALONE, BUT FOR MILLIONS
JUST LIKE ME.
ONE DAY IN 2005, I GOT ON MY KNEES AND POURED OUT MY HEART TO THE LORD.
I WAS LONELY, MISERABLE, UNHAPPY AND DISGUSTED WITH MYSELF.
I TOLD THE LORD THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS, I WANTED TO BE FREE.  
I CONFESSED MY SINS TO HIM, ASKED HIM TO COME INTO MY HEART, TO BE MY LORD,
MY SAVIOR. I ASKED HIM TO HELP ME STOP SMOKING THE WEED.......
I WAS SINCERE, WAS TIRED OF LIVING THIS SECRET LIFE OF LIES, OF BEING CONTROLLED BY THAT ILLEGAL DESIRE.
THE LORD SAVED ME FROM MY SELF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, GAVE ME A REASON
TO LIVE, NOT JUST EXIST.....
I AM A CHILD OF THE KING NOW, A ROYAL PERSONAGE....NOT THROUGH ANY
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN, BUT BY THE PRECIOUS, SINLESS BLOOD OF JESUS.
MY PAST DOESN'T MATTER TO HIM.
I LOVE HIM FOR THAT.

                                                                  RONALD J LAMB