“My time in the Army, 1976-1982, was amazing,” said James Lewis.  “I traveled to places I would have never been able to, like Germany and Russia.  I wish I would have stayed in it.” Upon leaving the Army, Lewis’ life took a sharp dive.

“After I left, I became a policeman. One day I got shot in the wrist,” Lewis said. “That shook me up enough to quit.”

Lewis held several jobs over the next decade, driving buses and limousines, and working as an ambulance technician. Then one day, his long-time girlfriend broke off their relationship.

“This threw me into an oblivion of heavy drinking. As a child, I remember my dad buying me alcohol. I started drinking when I was five. In those days, you could get whatever you wanted and not get carded.” 

Between drinking and depression, Lewis was hospitalized for suicidal tendencies. “I had this end-of-the-world mentality. I thought it wasn’t worth living anymore.” 

Once he was out of the hospital, Lewis found himself with nowhere to turn. “When my girlfriend kicked me out, I had no home.  I didn’t know where to go. I started running around, hanging out at a city park. It used to be full of drugs and prostitution, and I would partake of both. Anything that you can imagine went on there.  We slept in abandon buildings or crack houses. There were fights and people getting shot all the time. But I was too proud to go to somewhere like City Union Mission. I wanted to get a job, but that’s hard when you don’t have a phone number or residence. I remember hoping I would get arrested so I’d have somewhere to stay.”

Finally, Lewis decided to give City Union Mission a try. “I was surprised. It’s not what people think. You think there will be nasty, smelly guys sitting around, flies, filth, people fighting, sleeping on the floor. It’s not that way at all. It’s a bunch of people who are concerned about you and willing to help. Their goal is to show you what is missing with your life…God.”

Lewis is now on the Christian Life Program (C.L.P.), one of City Union Mission’s long-term recovery programs.

“Do I miss my old life? No. City Union has shown me there’s a different way to live. The best gift the teachers have given me is an understanding of the Bible. I’ve learned more about the Bible in the last few months than I’ve learned in my entire 48 years. I want to thank them for being there when I needed someone. They are my family now,” said Lewis.

One of the requirements of the C.L.P. is that clients give up all addictions, including smoking.  “In the first month, I stopped drinking, smoking, and using drugs, for the first time in 34 years.”  When you ask him if he considers himself an alcoholic or drug addict, Lewis will politely correct you. “No,” he replies. “I’m a new creation in Jesus Christ.”