Article November 20, 2006 Issue

Christian Science pulled me from the depths

BY MARC FRIEL

I'd reached my lowest point. Just released from jail, I was estranged from all my family and friends. My girlfriend had kicked me out, and I no longer had a bed to sleep on or even a roof to put over my head. The one person who would have helped me, my mother, had just passed on, and I was still deeply mourning her loss.

I felt very alone as I walked away from jail that day, the prison-issued sneakers rubbing my feet as I hobbled toward what seemed a very unpromising future. Although I felt I had no one to turn to, I was grateful I still had access to my car, so at least I didn't have to sleep on the street.

As I tried to piece my life back together, I lived in my car, worked when I could—sometimes two jobs. I also studied the Bible daily, but nothing seemed to give. I was still poor, malnourished, homeless, and addicted to cigarettes. Worst of all, I began seeing my situation as normal. I thought it was acceptable to live in a car and be hungry, and to believe that I needed cigarettes in order to cope.