by Jon Van Oss, staff member of The City Mission

As part of our centennial celebration, during the month of March we are airing radio spots on several of the Cleveland area stations.   To produce these, we interviewed a number of men and women who are currently residents of either our Crossroads Men’s or Laura’s Home Women’s Crisis Centers.  These are people who have experienced a remarkable turnaround in their lives.  Often, before finding their way to The City Mission, they were literally at the brink of death and now they are experiencing new life.

 It is fun to watch these men and women as we put them in front of a microphone.  At first they are nervous and a bit unsure of themselves.  As they begin to tell their story, however, they open up with great gusto.  You can see the joy on their faces as they begin to tell the story of how God has literally transformed their lives.  Sometimes it is hard to get them to stop talking.

There is something uniquely powerful in a story.  Pastors and teachers can tell us how to think or behave but it is not until we hear from someone who is not too different from ourselves that we really begin to see the truth found in what they are sharing with us.  That is when the Holy Spirit usually reminds us that if God can change this person’s life, he can certainly do the same with us.

As you prepare for Easter, take a few moments to listen to one of these stories.  You can hear them on a number of our local radio stations (WCRF, WHKW and The Fish) or by going directly to our web site (www.thecitymission.org).  I hope that listening to them will remind you of the amazing love that God showed to us by sending His son to earth to die on a cross.