Randy
He chose death, but God had other plans.
On a trip to Toledo to visit his father in late 2010, a former Cherry Street guest named Randy dropped by our Men's Mission to say"thanks." Twelve years earlier, at age 40, Randy had made the same trip from his home in Nebraska to Toledo- but for a very different reason: he planned to commit suicide by jumping off the High-Level Bridge.
"I couldn't live with the drink [alcohol]; I couldn't live without the drink," explains Randy, now 52. "I was going through a divorce. My mom had just died. I lost my family, my job, my home- everything. I thought I'd be better off dead. I cam to Toledo, where I had family."
Once he arrived, Randy planned to drink one last six-pack of beer and then jump off the bridge. But Randy's plan was not God's. After downing the six pack, Randy became too ill to get to the bridge. He called his sister, who took him to Cherry Street. A few days later, he went to his afther's house; his dad- who had two alcoholic brothers die on the streets- insisted that Randy return to our Men's Mission.
"I didn't want to go to Cherry Street because it was religous-based," says the Army veteran. "But it was the best thing my dad could have done." Although Randy didn;t want to engage in Cherry Street's programs, God found a way to touch his heart.
"The staff was so patient and respectful," he recalls. "They weren't like other people. They didn't know me, but they were so kind to me. They didn't look down on me. I got some trust back."
After several weeks' exposure to God's love, Randy decided to talk to Him. "I asked God, 'What happened? I had everything. Today I have nothing.' Then I remembered what it said in AA: Restore me to sanity. I said, 'God, if you're out there, I'll look deep into my heart and try.' From that point on, everything began to fall into place." Just a few days later, Randy was accepted into an inpatient rehab program, despite a scarcity of openings in Toledo at the time.
"I'd been in treatment 10 or 11 times before, and in the psych ward three or four," he notes. "This time, I got sober on December 15, 1998. I've been sober ever since."
Eventually, Randy's burgeoning faith in God led him to accept Christ. He reconciled with his family, including his father, who passed away just a few months ago. Today, Randy is chief operator of the UNiversity of Nebraska's power plant, owns his home and regularly babysits grandchildren who adore him.
And all because generous people like you enabled us to offer Randy refuge and the life-transforming love of God when he needed them most.
There are many "Randy's" staying at Cherry Street right now, We're confident that, in the years to come, they too will be grateful for the opportunity you gave them to turn their lives around.
