The Power to Transform Lives- Findlay City Mission Gala

After watching this year's video for the City Mission at our Fall Gala, and listening to some of our residents' stories, I realized something.  The City Mission of Findlay is a living, breathing entity that has a divine whisper that calls to people and pulls them in.  It is a beacon; a light house in troubled waters. It doesn't seem to matter if you are a resident or a staff member.  We are called here either for our gifts or for our problems and the demons that we face.  There is a magnificent unseen beauty within these walls.  You can sense it and you feel it.  It is the power to transform lives.

For some residents that walk through our doors, all they need is a place to stay until they can get back on their feet.  Other residents, I have come to realize, are in need of something more.  They are in need of a safe haven away from drugs and alcohol; they need their hearts and souls mended.  They need to learn to trust again and to love again, starting with themselves.  We don’t just offer a warm bed and food to eat.  We offer our own hearts, our love and support, and we guide them to finding a path to Christ and we remind them what humanity is.

I have seen people enter our facility broken and beat down by life.  They come to us with troubled pasts that weigh heavy on their hearts; shackled with shame, addictions, broken homes and broken lives.  They trust no one.  Friends and family have given up on them or written them off, and discarded them because they have burned their bridges until none were left.  They were hopeless and lost.  But we welcomed them with open arms.  We accepted them and we loved them. With this, I have seen many transform into happy, and healthy individuals who have come to accept Jesus Christ as their savior.  They now walk around with bright eyes and a zest for life.  They began to open their hearts, their minds, and their eyes.  They started seeing a future for themselves.  They know that better days are ahead now.  All because we love.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

The staff is no different.  Some of our staff were raised with a strong religious background.  These are our God Warriors; ready to share the gospel, ready to pray with those in need.  They are just a natural fit for the Mission.  They are our foundation.  Other staff members came to the Mission just because it was a job and they have bills to pay.  But eventually, it became more than just an income.  It became our home away from home.  It is because of their recoveries and triumphs that we transform as well.  They touch our hearts and give us purpose.  They inspire us.  They bring out the best in us.  For some, coming to the Mission is truly a divine intervention.  I could never wrap my mind around what that phrase meant until I saw it in action.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4:10
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I believe we are all touched by the Holy Spirit.  He speaks to us.  All we have to do is stop for a moment and listen.  Recognize that we are all truly blessed to be here at the Mission.

By: Michelle Cortez

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