Tonight at Refuge of Hope (a shelter for homeless men that also provides free meals to the community 6 nights a week) we served a record 207 people. To me this a very bittersweet fact. It stinks to know that so many people are in need in our Canton community, but amazing to know that God's people are meeting those needs for so many people in a very real way.
And as amazing as it was to be able to see 207 people get the help they so desperately need, my biggest joy came from meeting 1 man by the name of Walt.
Walt's story is a tale of redemption, restoration, and of one man giving all he's got for the benefit of others.
About 7 years ago Walt was a normal middle class guy with a family, until one day when he found out that his wife was doing crack cocaine behind his back. Out of a broken heart and a deep love for his wife, Walt found himself trying the drug and eventually getting hooked. Over the next few years all of their money went towards supporting his drug and alcohol addictions, until he found himself and his family broke and without a home.
To make matters worse Walt has several health problems, including degenerative disk disease in his back, which makes it hard for him to get around or even move sometimes.
No way the story ends there though, not with our mighty and loving God in the picture. Just when he was at his worst moments, Walt moved into one of the 34 beds at Refuge of Hope where the staff and the other men in the shelter gave him the accountability, love, and grace he needed.
Today Walt is 2 1/2 years sober and finds himself teaching others and sharing his testimony in hopes that they will learn from his mistakes and avoid the traps that force people into homelessness. He told me that he regularly gives seminars at the Canton Department of Job & Family Services to young kids where he teaches them what it takes to stay off the streets and away from drugs, and where he shares the saving work of his Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only that, but he also gives back his time by helping at every Refuge dinner service and by taking the men of the shelter with him to church. Walt is a leader amongst the people and is a daily example to many that God can heal and restore all things.
I was absolutely blown away talking to Walt. To hear about how much he is physically held back and how he still gives every ounce of himself to the work of God is incredible.
Walt has very little to give both financially and physically, but gives every bit of himself to God. As someone who is young, healthy, and who has been given many blessings, that challenges me in a very profound way. If Walt can give it all to Christ with the little he has, how much more should we be giving? Should we not use every ounce of our strength for the kingdom as well?
May you be encouraged by Walt's story, and may it challenge you to give every ounce of your life to the God who gave his for us. God loves you immeasurably more than you could ever know, our response to that should be nothing short of our all.
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