A couple of years ago, my wife Tracy and I were invited to attend Nashville Rescue Mission’s annual Hearts of Hope luncheon. It was an excellent opportunity to support a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, and also see our son perform with country music legend Reba McEntire. As you can imagine, we were extremely excited. But our story and connection to those experiencing homelessness goes back about 20 years before this event; back to South Florida and a man named Mr. Jim.
When we lived in South Florida, I would regularly see a homeless man around our neighborhood and often sitting outside of the local grocery store. After a few failed attempts at offering him food, I later learned he delivered flyers for a local sub shop, and they would feed him in exchange. After some awkward conversation starters, Mr. Jim and I became friends.
We became such good friends that I would hope to see him on my way home from work so we could chat in the warm Florida sun. I learned Jim was from New York and made his way to Florida for the warm weather. He told me about his family, his failed marriage, and his kids that he hadn’t seen in years. Jim shared a lot of his life, and I did the same in return. He was thrilled to be one of the first to learn my wife was pregnant with our 3rd child, beaming at the news. He even came up with the name, Amber Faith, his sister’s name, and a name that fit our daughter perfectly.
Mr. Jim and I had a profound impact on each other. Jim forced me out of my comfort zone and into his life. His rejection of my offers of food was an invitation for me to see him as a human being. To recognize the God-breathed dignity that was inside the dirty and gruff exterior. Jim went from the one-dimensional, lowly homeless guy, to my friend. To the man, I am proud to say named my daughter.
It’s one of the reasons why I am excited about the work of Nashville Rescue Mission. We became personally involved with the Mission after our son Kyle played drums for Caroline Kole and Reba at that annual luncheon.
As we learned of the awe-inspiring work the Mission does every day, Tracy and I were moved to tears. We were overwhelmed with emotion as we heard stories of broken people being restored by experiencing the life-changing and unconditional love of God. We saw and heard women telling of dramatic and sudden slips from normal productive lives to being destitute, homeless, and often addicted. And the common thread in these stories was the redemption and healing they found at Nashville Rescue Mission.
My plea to you is to answer the call of God to participate in His work, right here in Nashville. You have the opportunity to give of yourself, satisfy the afflicted, and become a light for those in darkness. God’s graces are abundant, and we have been lavished with them! Share them! Give them freely! This is YOUR chance to make a difference, and as we say on 94FM The Fish, to let people know that They Matter!
With a blend of encouraging music, real life conversations, and good clean fun, listeners will feel like Kevin and Taylor are a part of their own families. A show that moms and dads can listen to and be entertained with music and content that’s relevant to their life and enjoyable for the whole family. The best part is there’s no changing stations to avoid topics the kids in the car shouldn’t hear. Kevin and Taylor are heard weekday mornings on 94 FM the FISH. 94.1 FM, 93.7 FM, and 104.9 FM on your Nashville radio.
