Stories to Inspire...

I Have a Friend in Jesus

"Crack cocaine and I were intimate friends," said Darrel. Read this inspirational story to find out how the Kansas City Rescue Mission introduced Darrel to a new friend, Jesus.

Darrel always prided himself on being a hard worker. As a truck driver he'd always had plenty of work. Life was good. So when he unexpectedly lost his job, he was devastated. He felt like a failure. And beyond the emotional strain of being jobless, Darrel got behind in his rent and his family was eventually evicted from their apartment.

That's when the depression really hit. Darrel turned to crack cocaine as an escape from the life that seemed to be unraveling. Before he knew what had happened, he was hooked.

In time, Darrel was able to find work. But by then it was just a means of supporting his drug addiction. He lost job after job - and ultimately lost his family. The once hard-working family man was now all alone, and homeless.

"Crack cocaine and I were intimate friends," Darrel says.

The only other "friends" he had were acquaintances who came to him on paydays, hoping he'd help them with their next fix. Darrel had hit bottom - and hard. He couldn't believe the turn his life had taken.

"One day I looked in the mirror and saw this guy whose life was spinning out of control," Darrel recalls. "I asked myself, 'Is this it? Is this going to be my life?'"

That day Darrel realized he would never be able to overcome his addiction on his own. He desperately needed help. And he found that help at the Kansas City Rescue Mission.

At the Mission, Darrel was greeted by a loving staff who genuinely cared about him. They showed him compassion and respect, and spoke passionately about helping him get his life back.

Darrel was provided a place to stay, hot meals, other vital services . . . and the encouragement to start his life over. He knew the days ahead would be tough, but this was something he had to do. For himself . . . and his family.

Breaking free of the grip cocaine had on his life was a long and difficult journey. But Darrel didn't have to walk that road alone. The Mission staff was there every step of the way. And as Darrel discovered, so was God.

"I always felt a little bit of hope, because I knew God was still with me," Darrel says. "Despite my choices in life, He had not left me. He was always there."

By the grace of God - and with determination and the help of the Mission staff - Darrel is a changed man today. His faith has grown by leaps and bounds, and he now enjoys a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ.

With that renewed faith as his foundation, Darrel has discovered the courage to say no when old temptations beckon, his self esteem has soared, and he is working and saving money. Perhaps most important, Darrel has reestablished a relationship with his family.

Darrel is quick to credit the Kansas City Rescue Mission for much of the transformation that has occurred in his life.

"There are good people there," he says. "They helped me find freedom from the past and hope for the future. And their program works. Guys come through here and they don't come back. They're out there living new lives."

Darrel is a living testimony of the impact the Mission is having on individuals and their families. He is living a new life filled with hopes, dreams - and friends.

"Now I have real friends from the Mission . . . and I have a friend in Jesus," he says.