Rescuing The Raggedy Man

Hope for the Hurting Think of the term “homeless person,” and you’ll see him: the raggedy man. Reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Hasn’t showered in weeks. Tattered old coat. Staggering down the sidewalk, clutching a bottle of cheap whiskey. Or maybe you see her. Mismatched clothes that others would have used for rags. Stringy, unwashed hair sticking out from under a dirty, knit stocking cap. Three kids, somewhere, from three different fathers. For more than four decades, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Rockford Rescue Mission has served compassion and generosity to raggedy people. Some look the part. But many more look like people you’d see every day. They’ve simply messed up, and life has unraveled. Hurting, hopeless, raggedy people walk among us-we just don’t see past their masks. They’re in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our churches. There even may be one in your mirror. If there’s a common theme to the many stories you’re about to read, it’s this: For all who hurt, there is great news. God is in the rescue business. He changes lives and gives hope where all seemed hopeless, even for raggedy people like us.