God's Love in You

Fred Lehman, a counselor at Hope Ministries, feels a God-given, gut-level love for the men he works with in the STAR recovery program. “I was a shy and fearful person until I was 19,” Fred recalls. “But God gave me an experience one day when I was raking leaves in the yard; it was a bottomless love for Him. Now I have this overwhelming sense of God’s love and His value of the people around me.”

As a counselor, Fred must often discipline residents—it’s an experience that wrenches his heart though he knows it’s the right thing to do. “Leon Negen (Hope Ministries president/CEO) has been a gift to me,” Fred says. “He told me once that misguided compassion can be dangerous. I’ve never forgotten that.”

There are times when Fred must even ask a resident to leave the program. “In one case, we’d done a urine analysis on the men to test for drugs and alcohol. A man who I’d say is the strongest personality we’ve ever had here asked me, ‘Mine came up dirty, didn’t it?’ At the moment, I thought to myself, Be careful. God knows the value of this man. I said to him, ‘I love you brother, but you gotta go.’”

Fred believes tough love can help men seek forgiveness and a better attitude toward recovery.  Often, they return to Hope Ministries where our counselors welcome them and invite them back into our Journey of Hope continuum of care. “Some men will never stand until they’ve fallen hard. Some have to fall several times. Though I want to hang on to them, I know if I catch them every time, I’ll interrupt what God is doing in their lives.”

Fred knows God’s tough love personally. “Years ago, I was unfaithful to my wife. I had suicidal thoughts and lived on the streets—even selling plasma for what I could get.” God’s love redeemed Fred, and now he says, “God uses broken men to treat broken men.” Because he’s “been there,” he’s even more effective in ministry!

“You know, I still feel a little frightened when I see a new man come to my office door,” Fred admits. “I think, ‘He’s walked so long in sin … he’s been in prison … what can I say that will make a difference?’ But then a third person joins us—Jesus—and the loves comes.”