By Lanell Downs Smith

One Saturday each month, Charles Box leads professional development classes at Walnut Street Church of Christ. People from Butler, Lowndes and Crenshaw counties who are working through Drug Court attend as a program requirement but while there they gain much more than job readiness skills.

Box is minister at the church and works concepts like setting goals, doing the right thing and experiencing the consequences of poor choices into each class, along with a faith-based message. He invites community members to speak to the class, asking each one questions to help learners relate to living as a sober, productive member of society.

As regional editor for The Luverne Journal, I was recently invited to a Saturday class, where Box asked questions like, “Do you have written goals?” and “How did you get to where you are in your career?” There were hard-to-answer questions as well, involving coverage of difficult topics like suicide and mental health.

The experience allowed me to share a bit of myself, not only my professional journey, but also the continuing work of growing personally and overcoming the kind of “life-challenging” situations which led many down the wrong road and, eventually, to Drug Court. But in the process of answering questions designed to inspire or educate participants, I found myself encouraged by the perseverance of the men and women there, some who marked one, two and even five years of sobriety.

Each person faces challenges and battles their own, if not addictions, then certainly faults, failings or weaknesses. The fine line between my presence in class that Saturday and that of the men and women who were court ordered to attend, is thin — merely the absence of a poor decision with legal consequences.

I am thankful for the work of Box and others who give their time to help people needing encouragement on the path to success. I am also grateful for the opportunity to be just a small part of the work and encourage our readers to look for ways to make a difference in the life of someone committed to living making better decisions.