My buddy Ben and I formed our band Sidewalk Prophets 15 years ago while in college at Anderson University back in Indiana. We moved to Nashville ten years ago after signing with Fervent Records/Word Entertainment and now call Nashville our home.
Up until a year ago, I had never owned a home. In the nine years of living in Nashville before that, I moved nine times. I always rented and never had a permanent place to call home. That experience gave me an appreciation for what it means to have a roof over my head. I can’t imagine what it must be like for those who are truly homeless.
I’ve encountered people experiencing homelessness everywhere we go. I’ve served meals to the homeless many times. Last year, our band volunteered at 94 FM The Fish’s radiothon to benefit Nashville Rescue Mission. Through all my interactions, I’ve yet to meet someone who just one day decided to be homeless.
At times it’s easy to think of ourselves as better than them. But they are our brothers and sisters. In the book of James we are reminded to help the poor widows and the orphans. We are called to help the “least of these.” As believers, we have Christ living in us. We are called to be something different. We have an eternal hope. We can live Christ, so that He’s a presence among us.
Hope can sometimes be a hard thing to come by. Thankfully organizations such as Nashville Rescue Mission are taking the charge of the Gospel to heart. They are doing great ministry and are being bringers of hope to the hungry and homeless in our community.
I may never know what brings someone to a place of homelessness. It might be addiction, mental illness, bad decisions … any number of things can contribute to a life on the streets. In most cases, these individuals have simply given up hope.
I know what that feels like. I have battled hopelessness. I’ve been on the brink of “is life even worth living?” I’ve walked through painful times and wondered whether the pain is worth it. During those dark periods of my life, my grandpa would sit me down and say, “Dave, you were made for so much more! Don’t lose sight of that! Keep hope!”
We may never know this side of heaven why we’re going through a trial, but we can be a light to the watching world!
Nashville Rescue Mission is a light to a watching world. I stand with them in their efforts to share a message of hope to those encountering trials. We stand together in saying to those who are homeless and hurting, “never give up hope.”
God’s word reminds us over and over, that He is faithful. The words of the Bible came from people who aren’t perfect and have suffered much, like many of those the Mission serves. It’s an encouragement to see their imperfect lives, but to also see that they continued to trust the Lord. This is a message that permeates the work of the Mission.
They are offering those in need more than just food that satisfies their hunger … they are also offering them a message of hope … a chain-breaking hope that is setting people free. I greatly appreciate the work the Mission is doing in our community and hope you will join me in supporting them.
With hits like “The Words I Would Say,” “You Love Me Anyway,” and “Live Like That,” Sidewalk Prophets has sold nearly 700,000 albums and 1.6 million digital downloads. Comprised of Dave Frey (lead vocals), Cal Joslin (bass), Daniel Macal (lead guitar), Blake Bratton (keys/B3), and original co-founder Ben McDonald, who now works full-time as the group’s manager, this Dove Award-winning band has garnered five No. 1 songs, eight top five radio singles, and more than 11 million views on YouTube.
