Restored Relationships: STEVE’S STORY

Steve went through some really tough times. His wife was sick for a long time, and he numbed his pain with alcohol. Steve’s wife passed away three days before their 15th anniversary, and he spiraled downhill fast, losing his job, becoming homeless and estranged from his children. But thanks to you, that’s not the end of the story …

“And though my wife was getting closer to God before she passed, I was angry with Him. I’d lost my way.” Within a month, Steve also lost his job and soon found himself homeless. “That was when I ran into the chaplain from here, on Operation SONshine”— our ongoing outreach to this community beyond the walls of the Springfield Rescue Mission. “He told me, ‘Come over to the Rescue Mission and take a look. There is nothing you are going to lose.” And Steve had everything to gain!

“At the Springfield Rescue Mission, I found God all over again. I let him into my heart,” Steve smiles. And after several months in our Rehabilitation Program, Steve says, “If I hadn’t stayed, I’d probably have relapsed and be living on the streets again, not caring about anybody else in the world.”

But today, he’s not only found his way back to God, he’s reaching out to others and is reunited with estranged family members. “I find myself being more helpful as I look for what my purpose in life is now,” he says. “I know I have purpose—that God has a plan. I may not know what it is, but I’m helping out a lot of people, so maybe that’s my purpose in life, to help others.”

While Steve is helping others, he’s actually helping himself! He reached out to his family members and has begun to restore the relationships he thought were lost. He now has contact with his children and grandchildren. Steve is relishing the fact that he’s reunited with his family.

You make this possible! Your donations keep programs like Operation SONshine, our Emergency Shelter and Rehabilitation Program operational and ready to help homeless men like Steve rebuild their lives!