A Veteran’s Message and A Mission That Endures

This morning, I received a message from a man I once had the honor to serve—a Veteran who walked through the doors of our residential program in California, battling the heavy burdens of addiction and chronic pain. His recovery was hard-won. But today, he is still walking that path—one step at a time. Still fighting. Still free.

He didn’t have to reach out. Most don’t. That’s the truth of this work. We pour our hearts into helping others, often without ever knowing what happens once they leave our care. But every so often, God gives us one of these moments. A divine reminder. A “God shot,” as we say. A clear sign that the steps we’ve taken, the work we’ve done, were not only necessary—they were ordained.

That message came at just the right time.

I’ve spent years overseeing programs for Veterans, for women, for mothers with children—for people society often forgets. Sometimes those programs thrived, sometimes they barely got by . But in every case, we reinvested. Not just into buildings or operations—but into the people. Because our mission was never about profit. It was about people. About putting client care—and especially Veteran care—first, always. In short, the success of those we care for is – and always will be – our success.  Not the bottom line.

There are too many in this field who have lost sight of that. Too many systems more concerned with appearances and self-interest than with real, lasting healing. But I remain committed—because I believe this calling on my life comes from God. He has ordered my steps so that I might serve. To see minds changed. To see souls healed. To see lives saved.

Just this past week, I returned from Washington, D.C., where the battle for Veterans’ right to choose their addiction and mental health care rages on. Political agendas often cloud what should be simple: getting our Veterans the care they deserve. But I believe God is moving—even in the halls of power. I believe He is raising up leaders with the courage to root out the self-serving and restore dignity and choice to those who’ve served this nation.  I believe and pray that the leadership I was honored to meet with are those who will see through this necessary, and life-saving change at the highest level. 

At the same time, I continue consulting for a nonprofit doing some of the most unappreciated work I’ve seen—serving the broken, the forgotten, the lost.  I say unappreciated because most in the community, any community, have little knowledge of how the homeless, the indigent, the uninsured and the forgotten every truly get a new lease on life.  Well, it starts with the non-profits of the world that match limited resources with unlimited compassion.

To the Veteran who messaged me this morning—thank you. You may never know how much strength and encouragement your words brought me. Just a simple one sentence note. But God knew. And He sent it right on time.

I will stay the course. I will remain faithful. Because I know the mission is greater than me. It’s about healing. And it’s about walking the path that God has set before me—one step at a time.