2025 November #1
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Well…the landlord raised the rent for the second time in a year…the boss said he had to downsize, so there goes the job…the children need money for several different school projects…and the refrigerator is looking pretty bare…
Sometimes, it all hits at once.
We all have experienced times when life threw “rotten tomatoes” at us. Everything felt like it was going wrong, and we couldn’t seem to get a handle on any of it.
It’s a frustrating situation, to say the very least. It becomes even worse when you lose everything you own because you either had to sell it for money or you no longer had a place to keep it.
That’s how some people wound up homeless. Life’s circumstances erupted. Unexpected mishaps overtook their normal responsibilities, schedule, and/or activities.
No matter the reason why, having everything taken away is a rough experience to go through. Being thankful during times like that is hard…and sometimes feels impossible.
The Bible says, “Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1 NIV) The wonderful thing about this verse is that it has nothing to do with what WE think, say, or do.
God is good, period. God is love, period.
We can be thankful for that even when our life feels out of control.
One of our guests, Dominic (not his real name), hit rock bottom when his addiction overtook him and his life began to spiral out of control. The streets seemed to be the only answer at the time.
Here’s his story:
We were living on the streets because I had an alcohol problem. My wife and kids were placed in a bad situation because of my habit. So, I finally decided that I needed to get them to a safe place.
I heard about Joy Junction taking in families, so I decided to come here so we could have a place to sleep and stay out of harm’s way. I was not happy, though. I didn’t want to talk to anyone and made sure they knew it. I did not care who I hurt.
Then, I had a medical situation hit me and I was placed in the hospital. For the first time in a long time, I realized I could not keep my habit up and still remain with my family.
I knew I could not carry all my problems on my shoulders anymore…
When I got out of the hospital, I decided to join the Christ in Power Program. I have learned that I need Jesus in everything I do. He is helping me find myself – my true self.
I wound up working for an organization that allowed me to see God’s hand at work. But, one day, a woman came in posing to be someone she was not. She wound up stealing all the money I had. I was very upset and said some things that caused me to be fired.
I plan to finish the program and move on with my life, being the kind of husband and father my family needs. I have a long way to go, but I know God will show me the way. I am so thankful to Joy Junction for giving me the chance to have a new life in Christ.
We truly do want to help those who have fallen into very hard, uncomfortable circumstances when life was unkind. There is hope for a change – a good change – in their lives.
Our heart’s desire is to encourage and lift the spirits of the downhearted people who choose our campus as their temporary home. We do care about them, and we want to help them move forward.
We love to watch the progress of the transformation that occurs in the lives of our guests as they work to turn their situation around.
Our guests and staff alike have numerous things to be thankful for on a daily basis.
During the Thanksgiving season, we want to acknowledge our donors and send out a grateful “Thank You!” to them. You know who you are. We appreciate you very much!
