Jimmie's Story

Jimmie’s Story: “Dear God”

If you have attended the 11am Contemporary service at Good Shepherd, you undoubtedly know Jimmie. A talented musician, his musical taste spans the wide range from rock and punk to ragtime. A singer/songwriter who plays both the guitar and piano, he has been a regular of the Contemporary band since 2018.

Raised in West County, Jimmie attended local Catholic grade and high schools, but over the years, he has felt a tremendous outpouring of love at Good Shepherd. While sharing parts of his journey, he commented how Good Shepherd has always made him feel accepted for who he is and that the community feels like a “warm hug.”

After the birth of his son, Jimmie found himself in a broken relationship struggling with mental health and addiction issues. At his lowest point, he flew to Colorado to attend a treatment facility. As he left the airport, he collapsed and woke up days later in the hospital. After inquiring where he was, he learned that a man at the airport had called the paramedics and stayed by his side through it all. He shared how this very much felt like a “God moment” in his life. After being released from the hospital, he was admitted to the treatment facility where he vowed to turn his life around. As a permanent reminder, he has that date tattooed on his forearm.

And while he has other tattoos, ranging from early Green Day cover art to a treble clef with a heart rhythm line extending from it, Jimmie pointed out that his first tattoo was a semicolon. In mental health awareness circles, the semicolon has come to represent the hope, reliance, and recognition for those throughout their journey.  

Jimmie is currently playing gigs locally, with an upcoming show in early January. One of the original songs he features is entitled “Dear God” and a particular line in it, which helped him through his struggles in 2021, is “…at least that’s what I tell myself to make it through the day.” 

Now in his fifth year of recovery, Jimmie is in a healthy and loving relationship that recently welcomed a new baby girl into his life. When focusing on his mental health, besides music, he spends time journaling, going for long drives, and spending time with his children.  

The community of Good Shepherd is blessed with access to numerous local and national resources. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, addiction, or any other need, please reach out to one of our pastors or use the QR code around the building to access this page for more information: https://goodshepherdlutheran.com/resources. You are not alone!