“Your whole life can change in the course of one afternoon. I had no idea what I was in for.”
“When a person is ready to make a change, the Mission is there to help them through that change.”
Men’s Testimonies
“At my lowest point, I ended up living under a bridge. I was this clean-cut corporate guy, and I could not believe I had fallen that far. I was living scared, pacing back and forth and sometimes not eating for two weeks. I was just so worn out that one night I said, please Lord, don’t let me wake up.”
“I had to take a serious look at myself and what I had become. My priorities were way out of line. I knew I had to give up my own will and trust in God’s plan for my life and do what He wanted me to do. My ways were not working. Being at the Mission provided me with a clearer, God-centered way of thinking. I discovered that it’s all about serving God and helping others.”
“Since I graduated the program, I have reconciled with my family and now have a relationship with my sons. That’s what I really wanted (tears streaking his cheeks), to have a relationship again with my sons.”
“I was close to death when I arrived here. Because of the generosity of the people of middle Tennessee, I have my life back. That just blows me away.”
“I think about those days when I was homeless and without hope. If I ran into that guy now, I would not recognize me. I cried out late one night for God to help me...I had enough! He answered! I came to the Mission one night for a meal and a whole lot more....my life!”
“I have never done drugs or lived under a bridge. After the loss of my job and a string of health issues, the hard reality of not being able to pay my bills delivered me to the Nashville Rescue Mission. They provided me with a meal and a place to stay until I was able to get back on my feet. I am so grateful.”
Women’s Testimonies
I started dating my kids’ father at a very young age. Even though he began to hit me, when I turned 18 I moved away from home to be with him. I soon had to take out restraining orders and go into safe houses. He was on crack at this time, and shortly after I started to drink and smoke marijuana. I was still in and out of the relationship with my kids’ father and the violence was still escalating.
My drug use increased until there was not a time when I wasn’t looking for it. I eventually lost my job, my apartment and my ability to think clearly. I started shoplifting to support my drug habit and ended up in jail at least twice a year. I was living from motel to motel, stealing to support myself. The Police picked me up for a felony charge, and I spent six and a half months in jail. It was then that I made a commitment to myself to get my life in order.
After I was released, I went to a Christian meeting where I learned of God’s forgiveness and unconditional love, and I wanted to learn more. I realized I had a chance at a new beginning. I began to cry to God for help because I was determined to not ever go to jail again. This was my chance. I might not have another! God answered that prayer in an unlikely way.
I went into the Hope Center program at the Nashville Rescue Mission on April 5th, 2005, and my life will never be the same. I now know that if I live for the Lord, I can have a life and live it more abundantly. I want to be a walking testimony of the power my God has and has used on me. There is no way I could have pulled myself out of the pit in which I was so deeply rooted without His help. I realize now that I must build on my knowledge of God’s word and my faith in His promises to have and live a good life.
If God loves me the way He says He does, I should love myself too. Once I got this down, I was no longer bound to the lifetime of hate that consumed me. Suddenly I was free to forgive those who I just couldn’t forgive before. For most of my life I viewed myself as a victim. I am not a victim! I’ve had a tough life, but as a child of God, I am loved and my eternity is now secure.
