C.S.I. CHRISTIANITY

The day started like any other day. I was sitting at my computer checking emails and such when I noticed two cop cars and an ambulance pull up in front of my house. So like every other nosey neighbour I went out there to see what what going on.

They were all over at my neighbour's house - Gator as we call him. Police were going in and out of the house and they were standing there talking to a guy. I asked if Gator was all right and the officer said "We can't disclose anything". Then I asked "Is Gator alive?" to which they once again responded "We can't disclose anything". At that time the guy I had asked the question to, just put his head down as if to say "Yes, Gator is dead". I felt awful. I had talked to him many times and he had been over here many times borrowing one thing or another.

He seemed a harmless type guy with a few brain cells missing from doing too many drugs over the years. I would estimate he was probably in his early fifties, a little overweight, balding, but seemed in fairly good shape as he walked nearly everywhere he went. He had all these big dreams and plans but you could tell he would never follow through on them. They were just "pipe dreams".

Anyway, all this started around 1:30 in the afternoon. Soon the ambulance left but no body was taken out of the house. Police came and went and unmarked cars came and went. Men went in with rubber gloves and face masks on and many camera's were taken in and pictures taken. They also removed plastic bags of evidence or something.

One neighbour lady started thinking he had been murdered as the body hadn't been taken yet. Speculations were running wild as to what might have happened and the police were being "mum" about the whole thing.

Around 5:00 p.m. a man with a black bag went into the house and came out about a half hour later. Talked to the police for awhile and then left. Shortly after that a black van pulled up and they took out a gurny. Finally about 6:00 p.m. they hauled away the body in a body bag.

One of the officers was going to neighbours and asking questions. They came to my door and wanted to know my name, address, phone number and when I had seen Gator last and what he had been doing. They asked if he owned the house or if his mother did. Then they asked me to watch the house in the evening and if I saw anyone hanging around there to give them a call. He also said "Many of the neighbours are worried that he might have been murdered but at this moment we believe it was natural causes, so I hope you wouldn't worry."

I waited and watched like the curious person that I am. More comings and goings and everyone slowing down as they pass this section of road to see what was happening.

Then a police type van backed into the yard and they began hauling out green garbage bags from their cars and bringing them inside. I watched as they started hauling out flower pots with dirt in them and little stubs of dried up plants. They must have hauled out about 30 to 50 of these dead plant pots and ice cream containers with dirt in them. I also saw them hauling out what looked like a heater and electrical wires and lights. I kept watching and to my surprise they started hauling out green garbage bags with large plants in them. They hauled out approximately 6 garbage bags with at least 2 to 3 pots of plants in each bag. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So I asked to officer "Is that what I think it is?" To which he answered "What do you think it is?" "Marijuana?" I said. To which he responded "I don't know." That made me giggle. Imagine a cop that doesn't know what Marijuana looks like. Oh well, I guess they can't say anything.

Finally around 8:00 in the evening everyone finally left and the house was left dark and empty.

Poor Gator. To be all alone when you die seems to be the most horrible thing to me.

It seems his friend had gone over to see him and when no one answered the door, he looked in the window. He saw Gator lying there and he didn't look right so the guy broke down the front door and found him there and called the police. I guess they had loads of questions for that guy as they kept him for over two hours or more.

I am sure within two hours of his death the news had spread around town already. This is a little town and everyone is alerted the minute anything of interest happens around here. I mean, after all, the big excitement of this town in winter is the train that passes by twice a week, so an event like this is big news.

My heart aches for Gator. He was not a bad guy nor a good guy. Just a lost and lonely guy. I wonder where his final resting place is and what he met on the other side. Did he find Jesus somehow or not? I know he believed in the "big man upstairs" as he used to say. Is he destined to spend the rest of eternity in hell or in heaven? It saddens me to think that maybe he will have an eternity of pain and suffering.

Could I have done more? I have prayed for his salvation regularly but, could I have done more? Should I have forced him somehow to read his Bible? Should I have forced him to listen to the Salvation message? Was I a good witness to him? I doubt it. I tried to do and be what I thought Jesus would want me to be. I tried to be a good neighbour and never turned him away. Yet - what is going to happen to his eternal soul? I know I should have done more. I could have prepared meals for him or something like that. I should have reached out to him more and maybe be a better friend to him.

One never knows when it is their turn to go. We may be prepared to meet our maker but what of those around us? Our closest friends, our relatives, a neighbour. Have we done all we can do so in the end so we do not feel guilty? I know I didn't, and I will have to live with those thoughts the rest of my life.

God, Please forgive me for not doing more to reach this man for your kingdom. Give me strength in the future to know your will and to do it in these types of situations. Help those who read this to consider their very brief time left here on earth. Let them be prepared to meet the end and let them reach out to those around them, for your honour and glory. I ask this in the precious name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.