Part 2 - Recovery, Amends & Forgiveness: Rob Ekno's StoryPart 2 - Recovery, Amends & Forgiveness: Rob Ekno's Story
Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell
Rob Ekno shares his journey from homeless alcoholic to decades of sobriety, reflecting on faith, family loss, and the daily practices that keep him clean. The conversation highlights forgiveness, making amends and rejecting shame-based labels while trusting God with each new day.
25:05•8 Jul 2026
From Homeless Addict to Hopeful Sobriety: Rob Ekno on Faith, Family and Second Chances
Episode Overview
- Sobriety is maintained by a simple but firm principle: do not drink or use drugs no matter what the circumstances.
- Daily prayer and meditation are presented as free, powerful tools that bring calm, perspective and a solid start to the day.
- Past actions are framed as learning experiences that led into recovery, rather than permanent labels or unforgivable mistakes.
- Being an alcoholic is described as an issue of what someone can safely consume, not a measure of moral worth or character.
- Forgiveness and making amends are shown as crucial steps that change lives, heal relationships and align with God’s plan.
“There is nothing so bad that a drink or a drug won't make worse.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with actor, producer and author Rob Ekno offers a raw mix of humour, heartbreak and hard-won wisdom for anyone touched by addiction. Rob shares how a once bitter resentment toward his gentle, well-loved father slowly turned into gratitude as sobriety helped him see that his dad had simply been living the way God asked him to.
He draws a powerful parallel between his "earthly father" giving him what he needed and his Heavenly Father doing the same, saying he’s never had an excess of material things but has been given “the gift of sobriety and the opportunity to do things” he never expected. You’ll hear Rob talk candidly about family tragedy: a brother who died after returning to drink, another still struggling, and a grandmother who literally drank herself to death.
These stories aren’t shared for drama, but to underline a simple message he repeats often: “We just simply do not drink no matter what… There is nothing so bad that a drink or a drug won't make worse.” For those in recovery, Rob stresses daily prayer and meditation as the greatest free gift: a way to start the day with gratitude and direction instead of chaos.
He challenges the idea that past actions are “mistakes”, seeing them instead as painful lessons that led him to a 12-step programme and a life “beyond my wildest dreams.” Jenny and Rob also tackle labels head-on. Rob insists being an alcoholic “doesn't mean I'm a bad human being” and Jenny echoes that what someone does is not who they are. Forgiveness, making amends, and accepting God’s plan run through every story, offering comfort to those who feel stuck in shame.
If you or someone you love feels lost in addiction or buried under regret, this story of faith, recovery and second chances might be exactly the encouragement you’ve been waiting for.
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