Well, it’s that time again. The end of one year and the beginning of another. For a lot of people, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate their lives and make some changes. Also known as new year’s resolutions.
This practice has got a lot of disrespect over the years because of the light-hearted ways we tend to treat these commitments. We even kid about how we plan to break our resolution after a few weeks. A lot of gym memberships have suffered this fate.
But the truth is, the definition of a resolution involves the idea of being resolute, which describes someone who is determined or is willing to make a firm decision. It was never intended to mean what it has become … a faze we might be going through so long as it doesn’t become inconvenient or hard.
At our two shelters, we see men and women make those kinds of resolute commitments. When they are ready, we can help them set goals and establish steps to reach them. We can help them eliminate barriers that prevent them from being successful. We can give them a safe place where they can stay until they are ready to move on. We call this case management, and it works.
It is my prayer for 2024 that more of our homeless neighbors will allow us to help them achieve self-sufficiency. We don’t have a magic wand that we can wave and make things better, but we do have hard-working, caring men and women at our shelters who will go the extra mile for as long as it takes.
Most people know Wichita Falls Faith Mission as a homeless shelter with beds and meals. And that is partially who we are. But the real reason we exist is to provide Christ-Centered programs and services that lead the homeless and addicted toward self-sufficiency. We are committed to that mission and all it takes for it to happen is for those we help to make a commitment of their own… to do whatever it takes to leave the past behind and work toward a future of hope and success.
Whenever we are able to help someone get a job, get an apartment, have victory over addiction or to restore broken relationships, they usually go out of their way to thank us from a sincerely appreciative heart. And that’s great. Everyone likes to be appreciated.
But the truth is, most of the time, they are the ones who have worked hard to overcome their circumstances and they deserve to be congratulated for their determination and commitment. I thank God every day that we can be a part of that, and we will remain committed to helping the ones that we can.
