Meet Scott

Scott didn’t know how to cope when he lost his mom, dad and brother in a period of about six years.

“I had a lot of confusion and loneliness and hurt, and just wondered ‘why?’ I started using drugs to numb the pain and fell into substance abuse. Things went awry really bad.”

Throughout his addiction, Scott lost custody of his son and couldn’t keep a job. “It pretty much started to run my life. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Scott hit rock bottom when he became homeless. He was walking outside one summer day, “admiring God’s creation,” when he decided to get away from his lifestyle and get help.

The day he walked into Holland Rescue Mission, everything changed for Scott.

“I just couldn’t do it on my own anymore,” he says. “I needed to let the Lord help me deal with it instead of trying to fight it myself.”

Scott came to the Mission looking for change, and he found a relationship with God to sustain him. “I’ve always believed… I was just unwilling to surrender everything and follow His will before.”

In our long-term restoration program, Scott found healing for his hurts and learned how to deal with his grief in a healthy way. “I learned God is loving and caring and desires to help. He is a true father.”

Scott is restoring the relationship with his son and enjoys the time they spend together on the weekends. He feels a calling to go into ministry so he can share his story and God’s love with others.

This year, Scott will be celebrating Christmas as a new creation, filled with the great joy of God’s love. “Now I see myself as a child of God. I’m loved and cared for and I know God has a plan for me. It’s amazing.”

To read his story in the Holiday 2020 issue of Changing Lives, click here.