Self Destruction

I met Lou at one of the big pediatric meetings. He was well spoken, professional, and frankly a little bit intimidating. I’d heard that he had been the top of his class, did his residency at one of the best children’s hospitals in the United States, and managed to get an MBA from one of the best business schools at the same time.

He was destined for greatness. Married, two kids, and on the fast track to success. When he spoke, everyone listened. When he walked in the room, people noticed. He soon became the chief of Pediatric ER at one of the best children’s hospitals in the United States. No one was surprised. To work with him was to put you on the road to at least being published. He was an ace.

I remember hearing about his divorce a few months ago. It blew me away. It seemed too close to home, even though he was only an acquaintance. A few weeks later, I heard a rumor that he was having a bit of a breakdown. I felt sorry for the guy. He must have really loved his wife and kids, the job can be stressful.

But nothing could have prepared me for the news article about the horrific and complete devastation of this human being.

One week ago, this prominent academic pediatrician was charged with writing 654 fake prescriptions. In reading the lengthy news article, I also found out that Lou has been served additional warrants including two for harassment and witness intimidation.

I couldn’t have made up the facts of this story. This respectable chief of pediatric emergency medicine used 5 different aliases to self prescribe narcotics, became a swinger, joined multiple erotic dating sites, posted naked pictures of himself on the web, met and harassed a woman who turned out to be a reporter (hence the news article), and self detonated in the most horrific possible way.

How does one go from acme to nadir, from mountain top to deepest pit, from so great a height to so deep a hole in just two short years?

Some will read the article and blame his erratic downfall to a mental breakdown. And perhaps he does have some mental instability.

But I believe that great disasters happen one little step at a time.

You turn on the computer; no one is looking. You conclude that there is no harm in checking out the pictures in front of your eyes. No one will know.

You numb the pain you’re feeling with one little pill. Until one little pill is just not enough, but surely two won’t matter. It’s temporary, you tell yourself.

You blame your ex wife for leaving you. It’s not like there’s anything else you could have done differently. She didn’t know how good she had it. She’ll soon figure out what a gem you are.

And before you know it, you find yourself falling with your eyes wide open into a pit so deep a hole so big that nothing, absolutely nothing can pull you out of.

My friend Lou will never find a job as a pediatric emergency room doctor ever again. His professional career is over, his personal life a disaster, and his family a wreck.

All because of a series of small decisions that led to a huge downfall.

Sin starts one little step at a time until your life is utterly completely and totally devastated. Stop sinning now before it’s too late.

And if you’re stuck in the pit, remember Psalms 40:2.

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

God can.

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