An Identity Crisis

“I had a lack of identity. Not knowing who I was in Christ. That is where a lot of people are misled,” Robyn remembers of his life before coming to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.

Robyn grew up in a single-family home that was torn apart by domestic violence and alcohol. When he was young, he remembers telling his grandmother that when he would become a man, he wouldn’t be like the ones that his family was surrounded by. As he grew up, he found himself becoming that man he promised not to be.

Robyn began using drugs. “It doesn’t have an effect on you until your life starts falling apart. Then you realize you have a problem,” he says. The drugs kept pulling him in, no matter how hard he tried to stop. He was quickly losing control of his life. With all of his money going to support his addiction, he had to rely on family for everything. The worst part for him was that his family had to watch him hit rock bottom.

Robyn knew that he needed something to help him break the cycle and get on the right track, not just for him, but for the sake of his whole family. He knew he needed to come to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. “My heart wanted to be here,” he says. “This is more than just a program for me. You have to want this. You have to be really tired. I was exhausted from the world and that brought me here.”

Since coming to Safe Harbor, Robyn has found his identity in Christ. Thanks to the Life Skills program, he now has direction and a plan for his life. He hopes to complete his degree in Human Services and someday might even like to write a book. He says that he wants to do whatever the Lord would have him do and is excited to see what that may be. As far as he is concerned, he just wants to help people.

Today, Robyn feels blessed. His mother recently passed away, and he is thankful that she was able to see him as the man he promised his family he would become. “I really appreciate the Rescue Mission,” he says. “I just can’t thank them enough. Being here has given me identity and comfort. I don’t have to worry…I just have to fix my eyes on the cross and understand that Jesus is in control. I was never in control.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come^.The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV