Bernard Hamilton

I was a “grate” man. My bottom was on a grate living outside. It was bitter cold. I had no gloves, and my blanket was wet from the steam and the rain. I was drunk and angry. A shelter had put me out for fighting a staff member-who started the fight in the first place. A lady saw me on the grate and gave me a bag lunch with a little book in it that touched me. It was about a boy who died alone in an alley with no one who cared about him. Well, I could empathize. I started to cry. I couldn’t stop no matter how I tried. I drank some beer; I smoked some crack. I took a walk with no intention-just a walk.

I looked up and realized I was at 14th and R St., NW. It was Central Union Mission-you know the shelter with the sign on the roof that says “Come Unto Me.” I entered the building to get a bed and met some guys just like me. There were some others who could relate to my story, but they had something different about them. They were the STP men.

I was an alcoholic. I was a drug addict. I was a bad parent, a thief and a liar, a lost sinner who needed a Savior. Thank God for Jesus. I am clean now and sober, but more importantly, I am saved, and I am part of the body of Jesus Christ committed to doing whatever it takes. I repented, and because I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, I have the Holy Spirit’s power. I will persevere because my past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I will tell everyone the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He works through people like you and me. God bless you!