April 2025
At Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries, we believe that standing in the gap is more than just providing food and shelter. It’s about entering the brokenness of others and loving them through it. Every day, men, women, and families come through our doors carrying burdens that run deeper than what the eye can see. Many of them are battling not only homelessness but also addiction, trauma, and the weight of their past. These struggles are deeply connected, often feeding into one another in a cycle that can feel impossible to escape.
Yet, we serve a God who specializes in making a way where there seems to be none. He calls us to stand in the gap, to be His hands and feet, and to love people in the midst of their struggles. But here’s the kicker, we aren’t to love them after they’ve overcome their struggles, but right in the middle of their mess.
The Deep Connection Between Addiction and Homelessness
It’s easy to look at someone experiencing homelessness and assume that their situation is solely the result of bad decisions. But the reality is far more complex. Many individuals who find themselves without a home are also battling deep wounds; be it physical, emotional, and/or spiritual.
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For some, addiction is what led them to homelessness. A struggle with drugs or alcohol may have cost them their job, strained relationships with family, or landed them in legal trouble. Others find themselves homeless first. Through job loss, domestic violence, mental health struggles, or unforeseen circumstances and then turn to substances as a means of coping with the trauma and instability of life on the streets.
The world often sees these individuals as lost causes, people who have made their beds and now must lie in them. But we see something different. We see people made in the image of God. We see people with stories, with potential, and with the capacity for redemption. We see what Jesus sees: the lost who need to be found, the sick who need healing, and the broken who need restoration.
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Loving in the Gap For this month, what does it mean to love in the gap? It means meeting people where they are, even when it’s messy, and walking with them toward hope. It means seeing beyond addiction and homelessness to the heart of the person behind them.
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Jesus didn’t wait for people to have it all together before He stepped into their lives. He ate with tax collectors, touched lepers, and met a Samaritan woman at the well in the middle of her shame. He saw people not as their past defined them, but as who they could become through His love and grace. That’s the model we strive to follow at TRM.
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Loving in the gap requires patience and perseverance. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. The road to recovery is often filled with setbacks, and healing is a process, not a moment. But we remain steadfast, because love that truly reflects Christ is not conditional. His love does not withdraw when things get difficult and neither will we.
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At TRM, we recognize that addiction and homelessness cannot be addressed separately. That’s why we take a holistic approach, meeting immediate needs while also addressing the deeper issues that keep people trapped in cycles of brokenness. For this month, we want to share a story of a good friend who lived in addiction and found themselves battling with it along with homelessness.
Chris’s Journey to Restoration
Before healing can begin, people need to feel safe. For Chris, safety seemed out of reach as addiction led him to lose his home, his business, and even his children. By 2021, he and his son, Drake, were living in a tent in Lawrence. “Initially, it was fun because we were camping,” Chris said. “But that soon came to an end when I realized, ‘I can’t keep living like this. Not with my son. I am going to lose him.’” At TRM, we provide more than just shelter—we offer a place where people like Chris can start to breathe again, free from the constant fight for survival.
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One of the biggest lies addiction tells is that you are alone. That no one cares. No one understands. But one of Chris’s unsheltered neighbors refused to let him believe that lie. He encouraged Chris to seek help, connecting him with RADAC. Through their persistence and Chris’s willingness to accept support, he entered treatment and ultimately arrived at TRM.
As a guest at the Hope Center, he found people who saw him, heard him, and valued him—not just for who he was but for who he could become. Through mentoring, discipleship, and counseling, we helped Chris rebuild his sense of self- worth and rediscover his God-given identity.
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Addiction isn’t just about the substance; it’s about what’s underneath - trauma, pain, and unhealed wounds. Chris’s addiction started at just 14 years old after the sudden passing of his father. With his mother working constantly, he turned to drugs to cope with the grief. That’s why at TRM, we go beyond sobriety, helping individuals process their pain and develop healthy coping skills. For Chris, this meant facing the loss of his father and son, recognizing the impact addiction had on his family, and committing to breaking the cycle.
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True restoration isn’t just about getting sober; it’s about staying free. That’s why we equip individuals with life skills, employment opportunities, and stable housing. Today, Chris is not only sober - but he’s also employed at TRM. “I feel like I’m home,” he says. “I have people who are my friends and my extended family, who help me stay clean. These are people who truly care about me.” Through vocational training and discipleship, he is stepping into a new chapter with confidence and support.
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Ultimately, we know that true transformation comes from Jesus Christ. At TRM, everything we do is rooted in the truth of the Gospel. We believe in a Savior who sets captives free, binds up the brokenhearted, and makes all things new. Chris’s story is one of redemption, but there are many more who still need hope.
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The work we do at TRM is not something we do alone. It takes a community of people willing to step into the broken places and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Will you stand with us in the gap? †