ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- I don’t hold much stock in coincidences, but I am a firm believer in divinely arranged meetings.

Dwayne

With that in mind, I regularly ask the Lord to direct my day in such a way that I will be open to where He wants me to go, and whomever He wants me to meet. Doing so takes a lot of frustration out of difficult days and replaces it with an excitement about the next experience for me on God’s Agenda.

A few days ago while at the Albuquerque Convention Center for our annual Pre-Thanksgiving Day Feast, I just “happened” to be introduced to Dwayne. He was there as a volunteer helping serve hundreds of hungry people.

But not so long ago, Dwayne was himself homeless and staying at Joy Junction. I asked him to tell me a bit of his story.

Formerly homeless on the streets of California, Dwayne ended up at Joy Junction. I asked him how he felt when he first arrived. Dwayne said as a result of his homelessness and other issues, he was in despair.

He added, “I was hopeless when I first got there, and Joy Junction gave me the tools I needed, (such as) Bible study and ... a little bit of hope.”

I asked Dwayne if he met Jesus while he was staying at Joy Junction, or if he knew Him prior to living at the shelter.

He said, “I knew Him before, but I got more intimate with Him there, because I got to see that I just wasn't the only one needing help. There were more people like me ... I didn’t feel ... quite as alone. Because there's other people, as I looked around, that were in the same situation I'm in.”

I asked Dwayne what he believed helped him most during his stay at Joy Junction.

He said that the Bible study and the “mentoring” by some of our staff gave him hope. It’s been my experience that many of our guests feel pretty hope “less” when they arrive at Joy Junction. I think it’s a combination of being without a home, and the emotionally and physically debilitating situations that landed them in that sad predicament. I was so glad to hear that our staff had encouraged him.

Dwayne didn’t want to say what issues specifically landed him at Joy Junction, and I never want to press people to share anything with me that they’re not comfortable saying. However, he was willing to say “hard times” in his life resulted in his homelessness.

He elaborated a bit. “I come from a family of nine,” he said, “and we didn't have much, you know, all my life. I was in foster homes and group homes, and foster homes and boys homes, and I just (had) ... a hard time.”

However, good news was on the horizon. Since leaving Joy Junction, Dwayne now works at a local hotel, has a studio apartment and attends a church where he said he also volunteers.

He said, “I'm just giving back because the Lord has blessed me so much.”

I asked Dwayne what advice he would have for someone maybe in the depths of despair perhaps wondering if he or she could come to Joy Junction, or enroll in a recovery program wherever they may be.

He didn’t hesitate, responding quickly that no one should stay in despair – because of the existence of Joy Junction and many other programs.

“And don’t give up because there's a living God out there,” Dwayne said. “He loves you, no matter if your family (doesn’t), if your brother (doesn’t), if your teacher (doesn’t). Jesus loves you so much.”

Dwayne added, “I was hopeless all my life because nobody ever loved me. I come from the projects in Los Angeles; South Central. There was no love in those projects, just drugs, alcohol and all that stuff. (But) you know what? I know now that God loves me. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me ... You can't get that kind of love (anywhere) on this earth.”

He added, “There's nothing else like it. You might search and search all around the world, trying to find the love in people and materialistic things, but there's no love like the love of Jesus Christ.”

I asked Dwayne if he had a message for the many volunteers and donors who helped make his recovery a reality.

He encouraged them to keep helping out, adding that to do so “makes you feel wonderful (inside), and plus, we're doing the Lord's work. And that's what it's all about. Give because there's so many people out there that are in need, especially at Joy Junction. They take care of hundreds of women and children, (so) ... we need to give to Joy Junction.”

The Lord touched my heart as I heard Dwayne’s story. That’s what we’re all about-being used as vessels so His restorative love can be poured out both spiritually and physically upon those in need. I hope that Dwayne’s story will encourage you to support this now two-decades-old-plus ministry of compassion.

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Now You See Me." Additional details on some of Reynalds' previous books are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145.