“Not Yet”: Stephen’s Story of Recovery and Purpose 

Stephen never imagined life could unravel so quickly. At one point, things seemed steady. He was working at a hospital, building a future, and sharing life with his girlfriend. Though he had struggled with alcohol in the past, he had fought hard for sobriety and was determined to stay on track.

But when he lost his job, everything changed.

Disappointment and uncertainty sent him into depression, causing Stephen to return to alcohol, numbing his pain. As his addiction grew stronger, it began affecting his relationship.

His girlfriend watched helplessly as the man she cared for slipped deeper into addiction and she’d finally had enough. She told Stephen he had to get help.

That conversation became a defining moment.

Desperate for a new direction, Stephen began searching online for somewhere, and that’s when he found Trinity Rescue Mission. As he browsed the website, certain images caught his attention: volunteers serving meals, a man emerging from a baptismal pool — lives being restored.

“That’s what I want,”

Stephen said.

His girlfriend immediately called to learn how he could enter the program. After completing a stay in detox, Stephen arrived at Trinity Rescue Mission ready for a fresh start.

During the intake process, someone asked him a life-changing question: Did he know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior? The question made Stephen realize this was more than a recovery program — this was an invitation into a better way of living. He wanted a Christian life with purpose.

The conversation also addressed something Stephen had been struggling with for some time.

Two years earlier, while on an operating table, Stephen had flatlined. In that moment, he remembers hearing a voice say,

“Not yet. You still have stuff to do.”

Though he didn’t fully understand at the time, he never forgot those words.

Now, with Christ as his Savior and a new life unfolding before him, Stephen believes he is finally beginning to discover what that “stuff” might be. His journey is no longer just about overcoming addiction — it’s about finding the purpose God has for his life.

Through the support at Trinity Rescue Mission and the love of a caring community, Stephen’s life is being transformed one day at a time.

What once felt like the end of his story has become the beginning of a new chapter filled with healing, growth, and hope for the future.