Back in 2015, Justice lost everything: his job, his home, even the custody of his three daughters. Worse, it was summer. The streets would soon turn deadly hot, and Justice had no place to go.
Sweating on the corner of 27th Ave. and Northern, Justice reached out to his older brother in Nashville, who had been in and out of penitentiaries, for help. He was shocked to hear he had checked into a homeless shelter, the Nashville Rescue Mission, where he managed to kick his drug habits and establish a newfound relationship with Jesus Christ.
“He said there was a rescue mission in almost every major city,” says Justice. “I told him that was all well and good for Nashville, but there wasn’t anything like that here.”
Right after he hung up the phone, almost as if on cue, Chaplain Cliff pulled up in the Phoenix Rescue Mission Hope Coach. Justice enrolled in our men’s recovery program, found Christ, broke free from his addiction and even earned back full custody of his daughters within the next year.
But that was four years ago. Where is he now?
Soon after he graduated, Justice found a position at the largest construction materials manufacturer in North America. Today he’s a shipping foreman, a position second only to the head of the company.
Meanwhile, his relationship with his daughters has grown by leaps and bounds. He became a proud grandfather this past January. But through all the success, he hasn’t forgotten where it started.
“I go back to the Mission as often as I can to talk to the guys, especially the ones in foundations. Last time was on my birthday back in December. These guys are just a few weeks sober, so there’s a lot going on in their heads.”
“It’s good to see somebody who’s more than four years sober, with a reunified family, actually making it in the real world. They’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. I can see where God is going to carry me like this.’”
In addition to being a testament to God’s transforming power, Justice is also a prime example of how transformation always creates a ripple effect.
“My older brother, who told me to find a rescue mission in Phoenix, he’s doing super awesome. Loves the Lord. But get this. We talked to our other brother, who was the only one left suffering from addiction and got him to go to the Nashville Rescue Mission. His wife went to the women’s center and they both graduated. Now they both work for that mission and have been doing well for more than a year!”
This Easter, as we celebrate the event that makes stories like this possible, we want to take a moment to thank you for passing on this precious gift to hundreds just like Justice every year.
“My mom can sit back now and not have to worry. All her kids are doing great. She’s so thankful to the Lord every day. It blows her mind. To sit there and look at us, she tears up almost every time. God is good!”
