A ROAD LESS TRAVELED – PART 1

Editor’s Note: I first heard Mr. Green at a recent SER graduation ceremony – the first in Texas City – and was deeply moved by the energy he exuded and the passion with which he spoke. Mr. Green serves as a consultant to the students going through SER training, helping them to prepare for a new career. I went up to introduce myself to him and realized almost immediately that this man had wisdom to share.
What follows is a brief introduction to give you some background on the man and his mission; how he came to find his calling and establish his place in the world
 
Life is funny. Things can change when you least expect it. Reflecting, back to 2004, I didn’t have the slightest idea of who I was or what my purpose in life was. I was merely existing and not experiencing life on the level I had imagined. Afterall, that year I experienced so many personal tragedies. A friend of mine, who was more like a brother, decided he no longer wanted to live and the week he was admitted into the hospital for a failed suicide attempt was the same week I found out I was HIV positive. I remember when the doctor told me, I sat stoically in utter silence. The doctor, cautiously asked,
Mr. Green, are you okay? Is there anyone we can call?” I answered, “I’m giving this to God as this is so much bigger than Alfred Unzell Green.” Gathered my belongings and walked out of the office and never looked back or gave my status a second thought. I continued to exist, sometimes wreckless, however. In my frustration, in 2008 I pled with God, “I don’t have the capacity to kill myself, but I’m tired of living this life!” SURELY, there had to be something more to this it, but for the life of me, that more was escaping me on a daily basis. Why didn’t You allow HIV to kill me? Why didn’t the multiple wrecks, I was blessed to walk away from, kill me?” My life was a mess. I was broken, due to being molested at the age of 5. I felt rejected because my own Father wasn’t around. As a result, of being molested, I led an alternative lifestyle for most of my adult years. People never realized how low my esteem was because I carried myself in such high regard. I really had no purpose or any reason for continuing this life. I was tired of living, but too afraid to die. A couple of months later, God showed up in a way I had never witnessed Him before.
You see, I was smoking marijuana every day of every hour to keep from dealing with the things I didn’t want to discuss with others and even that became tiring. One night, after scoring an ounce, I called my homeboy and told him to come on over because we were going to get high as a kite. About 5 minutes later, I heard a knock at my door. Thinking it was my homeboy, I answered without looking through the peep hole. There stood 2 guys. “Does Charles live here, “asked the one wearing Carolina blue shorts and a tank top. Before I could answer the question, his compadre, pulled out a gun and pointed it in my face. The clock stopped ticking and the world stopped spinning as I saw my life flash before my eyes. I slammed the door and ran into my living room. After a minute or so, I slowly crept back up to the door and looked through the peep hole. To my surprise, the would be robbers were gone. I was afraid and I begin to ask God why? I had been a good neighbor to my neighbors; giving away clothes and feeding different people in the community because I knew funds were low. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why someone would want to do any harm to me. That was the first time I ever heard God speak and the things He promised had over whelmed me to the point of fear. I said, “ Now, God this is the first time you’ve spoken, yet you’re taking me too fast.” Two things He let me know immediately; one was that those guy’s intentions were not to harm me, and two was that they were actually there to make me aware of how I’d been living my life so far out of His wheel. Looking back now, I realize, even out of His will, He wasn’t protecting me per se, but rather that which he had deposited into me. He was protecting His investment as The Bible says that His word would not return to Him void. Since God isn’t a man that He should lie, with some new promises, I moved from existence to living, realizing, for the first time, that God really does love me.
Continued Sunday: Be sure to follow the rest of the story… “I realized at an early age, that I had a great deal of talent; I didn’t realize it was a gift until 2013. I wasn’t in a position to make ends meet. I couldn’t afford to shop at the malls, so I became a serial thrift store shopper. I was able to go in, spend less than $20 on an entire outfit and people would think I had shopped in The Galleria.“