What does it mean to be a father? As a little girl I remember waiting with anticipation for my dad to come home from the steel mill. He worked three different rotating shifts. The morning: seven to three. The afternoon shift: three to eleven. The evening shift: eleven to seven.
He seemed to work the morning shift more during the summer. My twin sister and I would be outside playing kickball or steel the caps or lost in a world of our imagination and we would hear his car drive up. No matter what we were doing, we would take off running calling to him, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy”! I don’t know why seeing him drive up brought us such joy, but it did. Our joy did not wane even though my dad was somewhat emotionally disconnected from us. However, he always seemed happy to see us running to him. He’d smile, pick us up and give us a nickel for a Popsicle. Although he loved us and we loved him, I never felt a sense of security with him. Security and unconditional love was something my mother provided.
It’s good to know that for those of us whose fathers may not have been all we would have liked, or may not have been there at all; there is a Father who loves us regardless of our shortcomings and failures. A Father who never runs out of time to listen, is never impatient, or uncaring or “disconnected.” That’s the Father we share with the men and women who come to Haven of Rest. We want them to know the security of a Father’s love and the hope they have in Him for a fresh start and new life.
My father is in a nursing home now unable to walk or speak, but in his eyes I see the memories of all those hot, summer afternoons and I hear the shrieks of joy from my sister and I as he tossed us in the air and caught us in his arms. He once told us he did the best he could as a father, and I believe him. Whatever was lacking in my dad I know is available through my heavenly Father. In my dad’s eyes are memories of yesterday, but in the “eyes” of my heavenly Father is the calm assurance of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ, and I feel very secure.
Yesterday a woman who had stayed at Harvest Home many years ago came to visit me..
This wasn’t her first visit since moving out. Every year or two she stops by to let us know how she is doing. She tells us about her job, updates us concerning her children and lets us know how things are going at her church. Talking with her reminded me of conversations I’ve had with family members.
So often the news from her is good and uplifting. However this time it wasn’t. She is struggling spiritually. She is wondering where God is in all that has happened recently. She hasn’t been able to work due to an injury so she hasn’t paid her rent and is facing an eviction. She came by to ask, if necessary, could she return to Harvest Home. It’s heartbreaking to think she may become homeless and need to return, but it is good to know she views us as a spiritual support system. She needs women around her who can help her sort things out and encourage her in her relationship with the Lord.
However, as sisters in Christ, we are also glad to be of assistance during difficult times. We count it a blessing to pray for a woman in need of comforting and to provide for her when she is unable to provide for herself. This, too, kind of reminds me of family.
Today is my birthday. It would only be natural to think about celebrating. God has given me another year of life where He has again lavished His grace upon me and my family. However, my birthday is not the only reason I have been thinking about celebrating.
Almost a year ago my wife went to the doctor for what we thought was an ulcer on her tongue. Instead we found out that my wife had a rare tongue cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma. She completed all of her treatments this past February and has begun the healing process. However, after a routine PET Scan the doctors discovered a small mass on her thyroid. There was some concern about what the mass might be so additional tests were ordered. After a semi-anxious week, Friday we received the great news that the tests were negative. Talk about your reasons to celebrate!
This past year has been difficult but even in the midst of the difficulty we can celebrate the fact that God is still in control and is very well aware of our circumstances. We celebrate His precious promise to never leave us or forsake us.
Recently, we had great cause to celebrate in the men’s ministry as well. One of our men received his certificate for his GED and later that week he and another resident completed the final portion of our program called Career Development. Haven of Rest now employs one of these men, while the other is actively seeking employment. Yet another man completed our morning Life Application Bible Study. For some these may seem like minor accomplishments, but we see them as monumental milestones that deserve to be celebrated.
As great as these reasons are for celebrating, the best reason is the eternal difference God is making in the lives of men and women who receive our services. God has used this ministry to lead a people to make decisions for Christ—I know I am one of them. In a similar manner one of the men now on our program came to know of Jesus and His life transforming grace while here at Haven of Rest. In Luke 15 we are told that the angels in heaven celebrate and rejoice when “one sinner repents.”
Those of us who are on staff here at the mission are so thankful that we get to celebrate what God is doing; but, we also say thank you and celebrate you for your partnership in this ministry.
A man who is a Vietnam Vet and has struggled with alcohol a long time has been coming to the mission for many years. When he is sober he is the kindest man out there. He has a big heart, is very sensitive, loves to talk about the Lord and interacts with the staff during devotions. He is very likeable and often he has shared about his struggles and the battles he deals with on a daily basis. It’s been easy for the men’s division staff to build a relationship with him. However, the alcohol addiction is still there and he struggles with letting his past go and learning to trust in the Lord.
Today was not a good day for this man. When he came in for breakfast, he was not doing well because he had been out all night drinking. Drinking turns him into a different type of person. He becomes angry and agitated. He was talking to himself, unhappy with what he had done the night before. His eyes were blood shot from lack of sleep and the smell of alcohol was all over him. I asked him how he was doing. He said nothing and could not look at me. Then he began to cry.
Please pray for this man and so many others like him who come to the mission. They struggle with addiction. They are homeless, lack direction, and are lost. Our goal is to restore hope in the lives of these men through Jesus Christ. In Mark 10:26-27, the disciples were asking Jesus who could be saved and Jesus answered “with man it is impossible but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Over and over again we have seen many lives transformed by the power of God. These hurting men are important to Him, and we are here to offer them Hope in His name. What a blessing!
Jeff Kaiser
Director of the Men’s Division
Executive Director Elect
The other day I was blown away by the students of Tallmadge Middle School and the level of compassion they have for the people we serve at Haven of Rest. These students are amazing and through their own creative efforts presented Jan Pluck, volunteer coordinator, and myself with a check for over $2100 to Haven of Rest.
When we arrived at the school to pick up the check, you could feel the students’ enthusiasm in the air. Teachers and students from three different classes were proud of their combined efforts and at the same time excited about the difference they were making with their gift-raised from individuals and businesses in the community and through ticket sales from their Student vs. Staff basketball game. The caring hearts of Tallmadge Middle School’s faculty, staff, and parents ignited their passion.
Life is so much more than what we can get. In fact, our greatest impact will come from what we are able to give during our lives. The students of Tallmadge Middle School have demonstrated this important life lesson very early in their lives, and that is what we are recognizing!
Twenty-five years! That’s how long I’ve served on the staff of Haven of Rest Ministries! It has been a blessed and exciting journey.
I came to Haven of Rest initially as a volunteer in the Foodservice Department. In some ways, Haven of Rest was very different then – smaller, simpler, and with fewer programs. I saw how the Lord was using this ministry in mighty ways and how He had His hand of blessing upon it. Haven of Rest continued to grow as it reached out to hundreds of men, women and children who seemed to have lost all hope, and lives were being changed. Though the ministry is much larger now, its core values have never wavered.
My first thought when I was hired as the Foodservice Manager, was that I needed to be mindful that it was only by the grace of God that I wasn’t in the line to receive a meal or a safe place to sleep. There was a time in my life where that certainly could have happened. I have seen many people one would never expect to see, coming in and asking for help. I have met people who have lost everything because of ill health, job loss, or other unforeseen circumstances. One’s self-confidence and self-worth can definitely take a nose-dive in such dire situations. There are those who have grown up in families where they have been abused and neglected – never hearing a kind word spoken to them. They are angry and hurt, feeling their life is worthless. Many have no idea how they can find purpose, joy and fulfillment. And that’s exactly why God has placed Haven of Rest here. We are a lighthouse to those in crisis.
Whether it’s circumstances or choices that puts a person into these situations, Haven of Rest carefully works with individuals through quality, comprehensive programming. Needs are met and men and women acquire the tools and encouragement they need to be productive and confident. And it’s very thrilling to see the change that takes place when they understand that they are valuable people, loved by a merciful God, who has a purpose for their lives. I thank God for the many life-changing miracles I’ve seen in these 25 years.
I just returned from a conference specifically for those working in rescue missions. It was encouraging to see the amount of people that came and represented gospel rescue missions across the country, and even the world. There were representatives from missions overseas, two in Jamaica, two in Mexico, and one in Germany. Rescue missions are working hard all over the world providing safe havens for the homeless, disenfranchised, and those in crisis! This is a need everywhere!
At the same time, it is easy to feel as if there is so much work to be done, and yet very few workers. Perhaps Jesus’ reminder to his disciples is one that may be good to keep on the forefront of our minds: “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). This is the verse from which Harvest Home has taken its name. In this passage Jesus took time to speak to the Samaritan woman who needed to hear about salvation, and then reminded his followers that there are many more people that need to hear! There is a harvest in Akron, and there are hurting women that walk through the doors of Harvest Home looking for hope. It is good to know that there are workers seeking to share the hope of Jesus Christ to the lost. This is why we are thankful for our volunteers! This is why we are thankful for the staff! There is a great work being done here, as there is across the world. Perhaps you may consider being a part of rescue ministry in your local community; if so, remember that the harvest is ready!
Aimee Radebaugh,
Assistant to the Director, Harvest Home
Haven of Rest Blog RSS