“Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
When Robert Jessie first came to the Mission in 2012, he desperately needed to be still and listen.
After making some poor choices in his teen years, Robert ended up incarcerated at the age of 19. Five and a half years later, when he was released from prison, he worked hard to get established. He went to school then found a job in Scranton, PA where he worked while raising his daughter. After 13 years, that job dried up and Robert began to flounder.
Robert thought relocating to Philadelphia would offer more opportunities and better jobs. But it didn’t work out that way. Up until this point in life, Robert would say that he knew the Lord, but he relied upon his own strength, wisdom and ability to make life work. There was one big problem – all his self-reliance wasn’t working any more. He knew he needed help.
That’s when Robert, frustrated and tired, came to the Mission. The Lord met him here in a very special way. Although he already knew the good news of the Gospel, it was at the Mission that Robert began to really hear it for the first time. He began listening to the message of hope in Christ – the One who forgives our sins, heals our brokenness, and restores far more than we have ever lost.
Robert admits it was difficult at first to accept help as a grown man. It was humbling. But as he began to allow the Lord to speak into his life through Scripture, chapel messages, and discussions with his counselor, Robert finally began to find the rest his soul had always longed for. The weight of the world and all its problems no longer needed to rest on his shoulders!
He heard the beautiful call of Jesus to “Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Robert has been listening to, relying on and following the Lord ever since. It’s been a sweet journey. Along the way the Lord has blessed him with a good and godly wife and a wonderful church with a loving pastor who has taken Robert under his wing.
One year after graduating from the Mission and moving home, Robert returned to join the Mission’s staff full-time. Now, he freely shares his testimony with the men he works with in our thrift store. He prays that if nothing else, each man really hears one thing from him: come to Jesus and find rest.
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What can I do?
Pray – Ask the Lord to help our men find their rest in Him.
Share – Share what you know about the Mission with homeless men you meet. Invite them to reach out to us for help.
Give – Invest in a man’s life – give financially.