Throughout his adult years, Ruben struggled with negativity and self-degradation, the source of which he never understood.
“I was never thinking positive,” he says. “By always doubting myself, I didn’t allow myself to look forward. I thought I was gonna always be at the bottom.”
His self-defeating attitude led to broken relationships, substance abuse, struggles with employment and even bouts of homelessness. Finally, one day, as he saw his gaunt reflection in a cracked and dusty mirror, he heard a still, small voice inside his heart say, “This isn’t who you really are.”
“Then I thought about my family – my children and grandchildren – and how they wanted me to change. So I made a decision: enough is enough. I’ve got to get help.”
With his loved ones’ encouragement, he joined our New Life Program.
“At the Mission, they’ve given me hope and faith that I can make it. I have to put my faith in God and it’s possible to get back on top.”
“My way of thinking was cloudy in the past, and when I came here it was like a ray of sunshine,” Ruben says, describing how guests and staff alike welcome, care for and uplift one another. “If you have doubts and feel like you’re alone, you’re not. There’s always someone to guide you back onto the right track.”
Life-skills classes and tasks in our kitchen are helping build his self-esteem and hone his workplace skills. But most important is the relationship he’s forging with the Lord. “I knew God before, but wasn’t following Him like I am now.”
Today, secure in the knowledge of God’s guidance, Ruben has a positive outlook and plans for the future. “I’m going to go back to work, enjoy time with my family, stay on the right path and start a whole new life.”
Thank you for sharing God’s love with Ruben this Easter. His life has been renewed through the joy and hope of the Gospel! “I’m happy and I have a lot I’m looking forward to. The Mission helped me become the person I am today.”
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