Before Steven came to the Rescue Mission, he did not believe in God. Steven had some difficult experiences in childhood and, as an adult, had three failed marriages, struggled with addiction and homelessness and spent years in and out of prison. He spent his days angry and would often try to convince others that God did not exist. In his own words, Steven explained, “I was either doing really well, working and married, or I was doing it all wrong. There's very little middle ground for me.” Fifty years of living this way had taken its toll, and Steven, without hope, considered ending his life. Then, a thought came to his mind, “What if God is real?” Steven decided to strike a deal with God and uttered a simple prayer: “Listen, if you exist, I'll make a deal with you. I've come to a point in my life where if you do exist, I need you.” He continued, “I'll make you a deal if you show me you exist. And if you help me out, I'll be your biggest fan. I'll follow you till my last breath.” Shortly after that, Steven found himself in church. The pastor, having some idea of the hardships that Steven was facing, recommended he go to the Rescue Mission. “That was the first day of the rest of my life,” Steven recalled. Over the years, Steven had walked past the Rescue Mission many times and did not realize it existed. “How did I miss this? I slept down the street from here and never knew this place that existed.” He knows that God led him to the exact place he needed to be to get help. The New Life Program has given Steven a new purpose in life. He is 10 months sober, healthy and currently working an internship with the Rescue Mission to help give hope and guide others out of homelessness. His family relationships have been healed, and Steven has great friends and an amazing community of support that he found through the program. His probation officer is happy with his progress and may give him the opportunity to end his probation early. Steven is happy to share his experience with the New Life Program and is proud of the life skills he's learned. “I think differently now. I do things differently than I did before. I'm not quick to anger. I used to be very judgmental and critical. I felt like I was a victim of the world, and now I'm quite the opposite. I am very accountable for my life and for my actions. I realize I have choices, and that's really what it's about. It's about what I choose. There's a lot of power in that.” Steven continued, “We need to let people know that, as broken as this world is and as many things that can be improved upon, it's still working in some places; there are still success stories. We need to focus on the things that are working, and the Rescue Mission is such a place." STEVEN SELL: A STORY OF HOPE, HEALING AND PURPOSE 12
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