Matthew Lewis was one of our first guests, and while here he surpassed his usual three months of sobriety and maintained six months of sobriety.
While here he was always cheerful, and always willing to help others. While not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had attended one of our Sacrament meetings, and more impressively, never failed to go with us on a multitude of service work projects.
As in all of them. And for our Ward, that's a lot.
From tilling a large garden for a single Sister, or creating a garden for us here at the Liahona Home, from hauling trash in Taylorville to shoveling snow and later mowing lawns here, he was unfailingly there for others, and this while working a regular job. And going to AA meetings. Every day.
Matthew Lewis had many hopes and dreams as he progressed in his sobriety. He was an older man, in his late forties, but nonetheless he had a lot to offer, and was seemingly about to be offering it.
He was progressing at work, at our home, and had a growing savings account with which he was to be able to get his own place, and his own car, and take the next step in his recovery.
Regrettably, and as we all in the program know, alcohol is "cunning, baffling and powerful". Matthew Lewis succumbed to it again, and left our home. We texted him, we called him, to let him know that even then, he could return and things could be solved. He did not answer.
We called the hospitals, and the jail, daily, but to no avail. His favorite places were checked, friends of his were keeping their eyes out for him, but there was no sign of him. When a man wants to drink, he wants to drink, and there is no end of it till the end.
Sometimes that end is jail. Sometimes that is the hospital. Sadly, for Matthew it was death. He is very missed.
I have contacted such of you as I know knew him. I have asked that each of them contact any that they know who knew him. I have spoke with his sister, and each of you is welcome to attend his memorial.
From tilling a large garden for a single Sister, or creating a garden for us here at the Liahona Home, from hauling trash in Taylorville to shoveling snow and later mowing lawns here, he was unfailingly there for others, and this while working a regular job. And going to AA meetings. Every day.
Matthew Lewis had many hopes and dreams as he progressed in his sobriety. He was an older man, in his late forties, but nonetheless he had a lot to offer, and was seemingly about to be offering it.
He was progressing at work, at our home, and had a growing savings account with which he was to be able to get his own place, and his own car, and take the next step in his recovery.
Regrettably, and as we all in the program know, alcohol is "cunning, baffling and powerful". Matthew Lewis succumbed to it again, and left our home. We texted him, we called him, to let him know that even then, he could return and things could be solved. He did not answer.
We called the hospitals, and the jail, daily, but to no avail. His favorite places were checked, friends of his were keeping their eyes out for him, but there was no sign of him. When a man wants to drink, he wants to drink, and there is no end of it till the end.
Sometimes that end is jail. Sometimes that is the hospital. Sadly, for Matthew it was death. He is very missed.
I have contacted such of you as I know knew him. I have asked that each of them contact any that they know who knew him. I have spoke with his sister, and each of you is welcome to attend his memorial.
