What happens when the things that are supposed to make you happy, don’t?
Vance worked hard all his life to achieve the American dream. But then, “By the time I reached my forties, material things were not working anymore. I had thoughts like, ‘Is this all there is to life?’ I had reached the annual salary that I thought would make me content, but it didn’t. I had the job title that I thought would bolster my self-esteem, but it didn’t. And I had a big home and the right kind of cars that I thought would increase my self-worth, but they didn’t.”
The truth is, Vance was looking at his life all wrong. Like so many Americans, he placed his faith in money and possessions—and they let him down. Doctors prescribed medications for his depression. “Medication helped my symptoms but didn’t take care of the root problem. I soon became more reliant on the drugs to numb the way I felt and of course, they, too, stopped working.”
Vance was now heavily using prescription drugs. They were supposed to treat his depression, but instead they made everything worse. The “American dream” came crashing down around him. He lost everything.
A friend suggested he try Star of Hope Mission. Vance vividly remembers his emotions when he first came to the Men’s Development Center. “I felt like a failure. I could not forgive myself, and from my limited knowledge of God, I believed He would not forgive me either.”
Through your support, Vance soon learned to see himself and God in a whole new way. “I will never forget the night in chapel when I decided to submit my life and will to God by asking Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I experienced the most peaceful moment of my life, and I felt whole again. But this time I didn’t have money, the job, the family or any of the things of the world. All I had were the things God provided: a few articles of clothing, food and water, a bed, His love and His promises—promises like, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”
Instead of relying on material things, Vance began to rebuild his life on those promises…and he has seen them come true! You can see the happiness in his eyes as he says, “Today, my family is being restored, I am employed again, and I have my own place. I am a new man, complete, lacking in nothing. I am eternally grateful to you for being a part of my recovery, and making it possible for me to be where I am, living the great American dream through Jesus Christ.”
Vance now gives back through service and encouragement for men in our programs (learn more about Star of Hope Mission Alumni). He even shared his testimony at our last banquet to let more people like you know how life-transforming your support is! Your generosity and compassion towards men like Vance helps them stop leaning on material things and get in touch with Jesus Christ, the author of all healing. Thank you for helping them discover what truly matters!
