From 2D to 3D: Seeing God Clearly

“I remember ringing the doorbell at the House of Refuge Sunnyslope,” James recalled. “Joel popped his head out, and I was so bad—I was out there with all my stuff, no socks, no shoes. I had been homeless for a while, and I hadn’t had a shower in probably two weeks.”

“Joel gave me the time. He talked to me, took me over to the men’s program for an intake, gave me a U.A.—and I failed.”

But Joel didn’t just send him away.

“Joel let me take a shower, gave me something to eat, and then he gave me a referral to treatment,” James remembered. “That meant a lot to me.” Instead of judgment, he received dignity and kindness. And that changed everything.

James went to treatment as referred. In fact, he went through a couple of rehabs before returning. It wasn’t a straight line—but each step mattered.

Eventually, James completed his program and came back to HRS. This time, he was clean and ready. “Mike gave me a shot here—and it was a God shot, because my life has changed,” he said. “I’ve accomplished things in the last year that I’ve never accomplished.”

For the first time in decades, James found stability.

At first, he struggled to find steady work because of his background. “I worked for three days, and they let me go because of my background,” he said.

But then, a breakthrough. “So, when this guy called me—he found my info on Indeed—I was like, whatever he asks me to do, I’m going to do it,” James shared. He showed up early, caught buses, walked miles, and did whatever it took to prove himself. “I was waking up at four in the morning, catching buses, walking—until I finally got a vehicle,” he said. And it paid off. “I love my job. I work every day, and I love it,” he said. “Sometimes I work 12, 15-hour days. It feels good. I’ve got a good crew.” It’s more than just a job to him. "I have a job that’s like a career to me.”

Today, James looks back with gratitude. “It just started falling into place. Now, I’m living the best life I ever have. Every morning, I say a prayer of thanks and gratitude.”

James is financially stable for the first time in his life. I had $16,000 saved,” but I pulled out a couple grand to get my apartment and stuff like that.” But it hasn’t always been that way.

“I’ve been in recovery circles for nearly 20 years,” James shared. “I had a bad habit of saving up like five grand and going on a run.” That cycle defined much of his past—addiction, instability, and survival. "I used to live in a truck on a job site,” he said. “I don’t know how I got away with it—I was just getting high the whole time.”

But now, things are different. "That’s nowhere in my thought process now,” James said. “I don’t want to do that anymore.”

One of the most meaningful parts of James’ journey at House of Refuge was the spiritual growth he experienced through the classes, mentors, and teachers. “I used to just get a 2D picture from my own interpretation,” he said. “But hearing them teach—man, it became a 3D picture. I saw things I’d never seen.”

He read the Bible from front to back and said that the way Scripture came alive was different than ever before. The people who came to pour into the residents left a mark on him.

“They broke it down. They made it make sense. I didn’t grow up with that,” he shared.

James said one of the most meaningful moments of his time at House of Refuge Sunnyslope was the day he was baptized. “I was baptized here. It wasn’t my family, it wasn’t my friends—it was the people here who celebrated that moment with me,” he shared. “And I’m grateful for that. That was special. At that point in his life, James didn’t have a support system. “I didn’t have no friends, I didn’t have no family,” he said. “But I had this place.” That’s what made it all the more powerful. The people at House of Refuge Sunnyslope showed up—not because they had to, but because they believed in him. “They didn’t know me before,” James said. “They just knew the guy that showed up and did the work. And they still showed up to support me.”

That moment represented a shift—not just spiritually, but relationally. For James, it was proof that he was no longer walking through life alone.

It was those moments—quiet ones in Bible study, and big ones like baptism—that helped anchor James in a new life built on truth, identity, and hope.

Now, James is graduating from House of Refuge and preparing to move into his own apartment. Though the housing search came with challenges, it turned out to be a blessing.

“I ended up getting denied at one apartment,” he said, “but then I found another place that was better—and cheaper.” And the best part? “It’s a mile from my job,” James said. “I’ve never lived this close to work before in my life.”

“I’d say being financially secure for the first time in my 51 years is what I’m most proud of,” he said. “I didn’t waste it on frivolous things. I’ve taken being a good steward seriously.”

It’s a new chapter—but James isn’t walking away from what he gained. He’s already thinking about staying connected to the place and people who helped him rebuild.

“I’ll still come back to Bible study,” he said. “I don’t want to lose touch with the people here. These guys mean something to me.”

Asked what he would tell someone standing at the same door where his journey began, James didn’t hesitate: "I’d tell them to check out House of Refuge. I’ve been in that spot, and I know what it’s like. This place gave me my life back.”