fbpx
37.4 F
Spokane
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommentaryAskNOVEMBER GIVING CAMPAIGN - Meet Jimmy. Recovered. Family man. Christian.

NOVEMBER GIVING CAMPAIGN – Meet Jimmy. Recovered. Family man. Christian.

Date:

Related stories

Exploring the Richness of Holy Week: 2024 Spokane Area Easter Services and Events

Here is a list of the variety of services happening this Holy Week. This list is only a sample. If you don’t see your church and would like to have it added, please send your service times to Cassy Benefield at [email protected]

Two Palouse Churches to Sponsor Upcoming Viewing of ‘God & Country’

A one-time viewing of “God & Country” will take place on Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m., at the Kenworthy Theater in Moscow, Idaho. the film looks at the implications of Christian nationalism and how it distorts the constitutional republic, but Christianity itself.

Utah Women’s Basketball Team Experiences Racism in Cd’A

Utah Women's Basketball Coach Lynne Roberts admitted at a press conference today her team experience "several instances of racial hate crimes" during their stay in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, last week (March 21).

Spokane’s Church-Based Homeless Shelters Receive Funding to Operate through the Summer

The Spokane City Council voted unanimously last week to extend the contract with Jewels Helping Hands to continue funding church-based homeless shelters through the summer.

Faiths Unite for 25-Mile Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Spokane

On March 30, Christians, Jews, Muslims and people from multiple faiths in Spokane and the surrounding area will embark on a 25-mile pilgrimage in solidarity and prayer for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

NOVEMBER GIVING CAMPAIGN – Meet Jimmy. Recovered. Family man. Christian.

Throughout November we’ll be introducing you to the columnists you read everyday on SpokaneFāVS.com. Their words are making a difference in Spokane, and we hope you’ll be inspired to support our work of building community and bridging divisions by making a gift to FāVS today!

By Cassy Benefield

Jimmy Young will not hesitate to share that he has not had an easy life. He’s loved his family deeply, and, yet, treated them the opposite of what he felt for them.

“A big part of [my writing] is getting that out there and trying to be transparent and giving some lessons that I’ve seen,” Young said. “I’ve seen some pretty dark places through my drug addiction. I’ve caused a lot of pain, wreckage and turmoil in other people’s lives — in mine as well, obviously.”

Young got into drugs early and dropped out of school at 16. Soon after, he got his girlfriend pregnant. To support his new family, he got his GED and, before turning 18, graduated a job corps program to be a bricklayer, a trade he is still doing more than 35 years later.

Young has been sober for the last 11 of those years, the same amount of time he has been a Christian. These two decisions have altered the course of his life, although pain is still there. 

One of his painful stories includes seeing his five children being homeless more than once and watching others take care of them off and on over the years while he was caught up in his addiction.

Today, he’s been able to redeem some of this past by helping two of his daughters buy a home.

He is also is currently living with one of his daughters, his granddaughter and a foster child (his granddaughter’s half-sister), who he’s helped raise since she was six weeks old.

He sees this opportunity to raise someone as a gift from God.

“It was like God saying, ‘You know what? Here’s your chance to give back,’” Young said. “I can help raise a child that isn’t actually my biological child, but we love her, she’s family, I see that, when other people raised mine.”

From time to time, Young would share some of his thoughts and his story on his Facebook page. One of his friends appreciated what he wrote and suggested he reach out to Tracy Simmons, the executive director and publisher of SpokaneFāVS.com, to see if she’s accept some of his writings, which she did.

He’s glad she did, as he’s come to really appreciate being a part of FāVS as a columnist, but also as a seeker himself.

“Even though I’m a Christian, I still want to consider myself as a seeker,” Young said. “There are things we should hear, and there are things we need to speak up about and we can learn through FāVS. It’s an important part of this community. We need it, and we’re blessed to be able to have it. And I’m lucky to be able to say I’ve been included.”

Will you make a financial gift to FāVS today? Because joining us in building community and bridging divisions is making the Inland Northwest a better place.

MonthlyOne Time$25$50$100$250

Cassy Benefield
Cassy Benefield
Cassy (pronounced like Cassie but spelled with a 'y') Benefield is a wife and mother, a writer and photographer and a huge fan of non-fiction. She has traveled all her life, first as an Army brat. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (2004-2006) to Romania where she mainly taught Conversational English. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Cal Poly Technical University in San Luis Obispo, California. She finds much comfort in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and considers herself a religion nerd who is prone to buy more books, on nearly any topic, than she is ever able to read. She is the associate editor of FāVS.News.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x