When you first meet Jimmy, you are struck by his attitude. It’s positive, it’s infectious, and it’s deeply rooted in a peace that he hasn’t always known. But as Jimmy will tell you, that peace didn’t come from the rituals of his youth or the comfort of a trust fund; it came from a “divine appointment” at the Gospel Rescue Mission.
Jimmy’s story began with a different kind of structure. Raised Catholic and baptized at birth, he moved through the motions of a traditional religious upbringing—catechism and the sacred sacraments. He grew up, married twice, and raised two daughters, eventually moving to Grants Pass five years ago to settle on land near where his grandmother once lived. To the outside world, it looked like a life of stability.
But underneath the surface, Jimmy was battling a cycle of addiction. He had cycled through 12-step programs and intensive outpatient care in San Clemente, living in a house overlooking the beach where he could surf and fish. Yet, even with those resources, the “cure” remained elusive because it hadn’t yet reached his heart.
After his parents passed away from cancer, Jimmy found himself with a sizeable trust fund. In the world’s eyes, he was free. He split the money with his daughters, but in that season of perceived independence, he lost his grip on his connection with God.
“In doing so, I kind of lost touch with God,” Jimmy recalls. “And I started drinking again… just about every day.”
The physical toll was immediate. His youngest daughter noticed his health failing and took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, along with double hernias and vision issues. He was at the end of his own strength, broken in body and spirit. It was at this rock bottom that Jimmy found himself at the Gospel Rescue Mission. He doesn’t credit luck or a social agency for his arrival; he credits the Lord.
At the Mission, Jimmy began attending chapel twelve times a week, soaking in the Word. He discovered that while the world offers “death prevention” through handouts to the homeless, the Mission offers a true Pathway to Independence by restoring dignity through discipleship, structure and responsibility.
The most profound change, however, was in his relationships. Jimmy’s youngest daughter, who had previously not been baptized, watched her father’s transformation. Recently, at Edgewater Christian Fellowship, Jimmy didn’t just stand by—he got to baptize her himself!
Today, Jimmy is a “shining light” at the Mission. Whether he’s reading Proverbs in the chapel or planning to pull weeds in the garden when the sun comes out, his focus is no longer on his past mistakes but on his new Master.
“When God’s in your life, He knows exactly what He has planned for us,” Jimmy says. He has moved from a life of “blame-shifting” and “bad choices” to one of “biblical love expressed through action and service.”
Jimmy’s journey is a living testament to the truth we hold dear at the Mission: that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He came to us broken, but through the grace of God and the support of this community, he is putting the pieces of his puzzle back together—and this time, they are staying in place.
