Wheeler Mission's Blog

He was 15 when he started using drugs. Today, he is 32. He says that in his teen years, he was just looking for a way to have fun. He admits now that his fun times quickly turned to a necessity when his body craved more and more drugs. From this necessity, he moved into what he calls a 17-year living hell of addiction. He completely lost a sense of who he was.

Like many people living on the streets, he felt invisible to others. He had been in contact with some recovery programs in the area, including Wheeler but would never stay long enough to get help. Because he had no place else to go and was tired of living on the streets, he returned to Wheeler. Then one day, while he was in the Day Room at the mission, one of Wheeler’s staff called him by name. Something struck a chord with him. For the first time in a very long time, he heard someone say his name. It made all the difference in the world and it was what started him on a road to recovery. He felt some one cared for him and was willing to help him walk away from drugs.

He entered Wheeler’s Addiction Recovery Program over a year ago and is learning how to live a clean and sober life. He has come to understand that the God who created him never forgot his name.

Rick

I was asked recently to offer the invocation at Mayor Ballard’s State of the City address. I was humbled at the request and thankful that I could offer a prayer in public for the men and women who serve Indianapolis as elected officials.

As Christians, we are urged in Scripture to offer not just prayers for those in authority – but prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving. Have you prayed, interceded or given thanks for our Mayor, Governor, or President lately?

I urge you to read 1 Timothy 2:1-3 and take time today to pray!

Rick

A few years ago, I received a note in the mail that had accompanied a donation to Wheeler Mission. It read simply, “my son is out there.” I sensed the incredible pain and desperation of that mother. Her words made me stop in my tracks. Unknowingly, she had given me the most accurate definition of a homeless person I have yet to read.

Who are the homeless? They are someone’s son. Someone’s mother, brother, or father.

A few years ago, a woman came to stay at our Center. She had been living in her car for a week, and hoped to somehow find a safe and comfortable place to sleep for a night. She had no intention of staying long, or enrolling in a program. Her 30-year alcohol addiction had brought her to this place, yet she felt no need to seek help beyond finding a bed.

It wasn’t until a staff member encouraged her to think about a new way of living that it dawned on her – there is hope left in this world. She entered our long term addiction recovery program and has been sober for almost seven years.

She now holds down a job, is active in the community, and has a lifestyle of helping others. She has experienced reconciliation with her family who thought they had lost her forever to alcohol. Yes, she is someone’s daughter, and they are thrilled to have her back in their lives.

So the next time you see a homeless person on the street, remember the mother’s definition - that homeless person is someone’s child.

Rick