Amending the past.
Experiencing the Promises of God at Wayside Cross Ministries.

Whether it was something you were born into or self-inflected, coming to terms with a less-than-desirable past is no easy task. At Wayside Cross Ministries, every day, someone walks through our doors with nowhere to go. That’s exactly what our Bible-based, Christ-centered Master’s Touch men’s recovery and transitional housing, Lifespring Center for women & children, and our Elgin Wayside Center for the homeless and the under-resourced were designed to address.

What happens when the purity of God encounters the brokenness of humanity?

According to the America First Policy Institute, 90% of homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes. In a culture that is anti-father and anti-family, this statistic should be eye-opening. Unfortunately, in most cases, God takes the rap for the conditions in the home. But the truth is, this was never part of His original plan.  Like all the brokenness in the world, we all inherited it. When people come to Wayside Cross Ministries’ recovery centers, this is the first step in coming to terms with that truth. Changing their situation is dependent on interrupting that pattern or allowing it to become self-fulfilling in generations to come. 

We need only turn to scripture to see this human drama played out. Page after page, we see the struggle to reconcile the brokenness of an earthly father and the misguided notions of our Heavenly Father, who, in reality, created us with purpose and power if we only choose the inheritance He has provided.

Not long ago, Datrell was one of those people. 

But overcoming feeling of abandonment at such an early age was nearly impossible for Datrell and the grandmother who tried to raise him. 

That’s why the story of the prodigal son is such a beautiful one. It is not just a story about a wayward son who was lost, but a father who loves his son and never gives up on him, until he comes home.  In some ways, Datrell’s story mirrors this parable, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Datrell came from a broken home.  His mother couldn’t take care of him because of her addiction to drugs. When he was 5 years old, his father dropped him off at his grandmother’s house and walked out of his life.  His grandmother was a woman of God and raised him in the church. Unfortunately, Datrell lost his way in middle school and high school, when he made some bad choices and started hanging out with the wrong crowd. He was introduced to liquor and pills and a lifestyle that steered him away from God. He doesn’t blame this on anyone but himself. He was the one to make the bad choices, and he faced the consequences, much like the prodigal son.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ~ Luke 19:10

Datrell was more fortunate than many in his shoes; he never had to spend time homeless on the streets.  The year before he came to Wayside Cross, he spent jumping from house to house, living with different family members.  “My family wanted me to get help,” says Datrell.  Finally he hit rock bottom when his car was repossessed and both his grandmother and mother denied him a place to stay; they were done enabling him.  That’s how “I ended up here at the mission 5 months ago.”  Datrell believes that he was headed to jail with the way he was living his life.  Alcohol and drugs distorted his way of thinking and he was making bad decisions that could have gotten him into so much trouble. 

“I thank God daily that He put me in a situation [that led me to the mission]. I’m in the best place I can be right now,” declares Datrell.  He is thankful for the opportunities that Wayside gave him that no one else would have given to him.  Datrell shares, “I hope people support this mission because it’s Christ-centered, and it’s really for the benefit of people who are lost.”

Learning to Stand on the Solid Foundation of Christ.

“My biggest challenge before coming to the mission was using what I had to better myself.… I was making money but I wasn’t using the money correctly.” God used the boundaries his family set to push him to see his life differently, to value what he had been given.  From the very first night at the mission Datrell felt that the staff cared.  Other men who had been through the program knew what he was going through; they really helped him along the way and made him feel welcome.  The first few months were difficult for Datrell.  It was hard for him to see clearly what God had in store for him.  Datrell quickly became committed to the program, and he decided to give it his all and be here as long as it takes for him to turn his life around and make a better future for himself.

“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So, it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

~ Matthew 18:12-14

Datrell has learned to understand himself.  He knows what brought him to the mission and has been taught how to cope.  He has learned how important it was for him to get closer to God and that building a strong relationship with God would be essential.  “I was baptized when I was 25,” said Datrell, “but I kind of steered away [from God]” once the devil started testing him.

But God never gave up on Datrell.  Just like in the parable of the prodigal son, the Father watched and waited for Datrell to come back home.  The moment that Datrell entered the mission and renewed his commitment to God, he heard the words of the parable, “For this son of mine…he was lost and is found.”  Datrell learned that God had never given up on him, even though he had given up on himself. 

The staff at the mission helped him to get in touch with his emotions and feelings and grow in ways he could have never imagined.  When asked about his experience at the mission, Datrell says, “I wouldn’t change it for nothing in the world.”  The fact that the mission has a faith-based program helped him in so many ways.  He found a local church, a faith community to help and stand with him through thick and thin.  He has joined the choir and is singing praises to the Father, who saved him.  All this has led him to realize what a blessing it is to be part of a congregation that serves the LORD together.  “I still fight every day [to do what is right]” and not fall back into bad habits, but the support system around him continues to lift him up and make the journey easier for him.  “Being part of a community means so much [to me],” says Datrell.

“For this son of mine…he was lost and is found.” ~Luke  15:24

Datrell says the mission has taught him that serving others is a blessing and a privilege. Datrell works in the kitchen, serving others in the mission.  Through the Wayside community, Datrell has gained some lifelong friends to walk with and learn from on this journey through life. The biggest struggles the mission has helped Datrell with are his anxiety and anger.  He has learned to turn to Jesus when he is struggling.  His life before was just so confusing for him, but the mission has changed the way Datrell looks at himself. “Before I came to the mission, I was lost.  And after I came to the mission, I found myself,” Datrell shared. Datrell has struggled with obesity and body image for most of his life.  Wayside has enabled him to see that God loves him for who he is, and in turn, he has been able to love himself as well.  This has led him to lose weight, work out, and build himself up not only physically, but spiritually and mentally as well. In addition, the mission has set Datrell up for success by giving him wisdom and teaching him patience.  When you live so closely with over 70 guys, you learn to not just think about your own feelings, but to put the feelings of others before you.  The mission is truly teaching Datrell how to live like Christ; he is learning to conduct himself as Jesus would.

The mission is truly teaching Datrell how to live like Christ!

When asked what his future looks like, Datrell says, “When I graduate, I’m definitely going to get into a warehouse and work.”  He would like to learn how to drive a fork-lift and get his CDL license.  One day he would like to own his own business, maybe a moving or landscape company.  Whatever doors the Lord opens for him, he feels his future is bright.

Currently, Datrell is a graduate and now in Phase 4 of his Recovery at Wayside. He is working a full-time job at Hello Fresh, and God is continuing to work wonders in his life.

To learn more about Wayside Cross Ministries’ Lifespring Center and Master’s Touch Free Christian Recovery Programs, visit us at: 215 E New York St., Aurora, IL 60505. Or call: (630) 892-4239

Datrell shared, “I found greater peace and a relationship with a father I never knew I had, thanks to people like you who volunteer and support this ministry.”

Give Hope. Transform one more life today!

If you liked Datrell’s story, you may enjoy these stories too.