“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matthew 21:22).
I remember one day walking over to get the mail at the administration office and Jess Pike called me into her office. She pleaded with me to pray for her brother, Jimmy. Jess told me Jimmy had a severe alcohol problem but was still living in denial. She said that they had not really been on speaking terms for 10 years, and Jess wanted nothing more than for her brother to receive true salvation from the Lord as well as have freedom from his addiction.
I prayed in her office for God to do what He needed to do to get Jimmy to his bottom so he could look up to see the Lord. I prayed for whatever needed to be done for him to step out of denial and see how powerless he really was over his addiction. I continued to lift her brother up in my personal prayers.
A few months later Jess called me and said “Jamie, my brother Jimmy is in the hospital! He fell and broke his nose!” I remember shouting out “Praise God!” Jimmy had been walking into work at the school he taught at and dropped his bottle of alcohol. Quickly, he went to pick it up and tripped, falling right outside of the school property. This was the catalyst that drove Jimmy to his knees both physically and spiritually!
Within a week Jimmy was on a plane (with his parents) and heading to the Christian Care Center Men’s Program. He had heard of the great things the Women’s Program did for his estranged sister and thought, “What else do I have to lose?”
Jimmy met up with Jess for the first time in years. Having bitterness towards his sister, a night spent at her house was a bit awkward to say the least. Then, Jimmy began his 7 ½ month journey at the Men’s Residence. He learned that he never really had a sincere relationship with the Lord and soon after being here, gave his life to the Lord Jesus and was then baptized.
Jesus not only restored Jimmy’s relationship with his heavenly Father but also restored his relationship with his sister. Years of bitterness turned into forgiveness and love as they embraced this new relationship together. Jimmy had gone through many difficult life struggles while in the program but counted it as all joy as it sanctified him into the man he has become in Christ.
One day, Jess heard from Pastor Cliff that there was someone who wanted to sponsor a man on a mission trip to help go over to Turkey and teach young children. Jess immediately thought of her brother and God worked it all out so that Jimmy will now not only be graduating the Men’s Program but will also be going on his first mission trip using the gifts God has equipped him with.
God has done a work of restoration in Jimmy’s life in many different areas including his self-worth. Jimmy is just one of the 30 men residing in our Men’s Residence! If you would like to connect to see how you could be a part of the mighty restoration work God is doing here, please email me at Jamie@chirstiancarecenter.org
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