We as humans have all struggled and failed in our life at different capacities. As Christ followers, our journey and the road to righteousness is difficult, or as Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke, “At times, life is hard, as hard as crucible steel.” We stumble and we fall but it is our hope in Christ that brings us back to humility and resolution. This past week, one of our students, Dante, was asked to leave the program after breaking some serious house rules of Open Door Mission guidelines. However, a few days later Dante contacted the Men’s Ministry Director, Pat, and humbly asked for re-admittance. In Dante’s confession, he expressed wrong doing of the program, and owned up to not being fully committed to his recovery from addiction. He then spoke about the realization of being back on the streets, without a home, and how desperately he needs recovery. This new spark of surrender has given him a fire he has never had before in his life and he is ready to do whatever it takes to gain re-entry into our program. Pat stated that he has rarely received letters from people who have exited from our programs and this shows him how much Dante has humbled himself through his desperation. In scripture Jesus says “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Dante certainly felt this calling on his life and through the Open Door Mission, Christ was there to answer.
- Written by John Horsechief