When you think of a mission, what do you think of? Do you picture a beat up old brick building with long lines of lazy people just standing outside waiting for their “free” food? Maybe you see a large warehouse with rows and rows of cots filled with men and women who would rather live off someone else’s hard work than go out and get a job and support themselves. Or possibly you are like I was, and you just block it out completely.That Would Never Happen to Me …I had been in church leadership for many years and yet I felt that it was not my problem to help the poor. I mean, I was doing my part by working hard, volunteering at church and providing for “my family.” I looked at the poor as those that were not the “less fortunate” but instead as those that wouldn’t take care of themselves, and what was worse - they wanted the rest of us to take care of them! I would drive by people on the corner of the street with their signs that said “Will Work for Food” and make snide comments to my wife and kids about how worthless these people were. My wife would always tell me that “we are only a few paychecks away from being in that same boat.”Now, that is probably not true for most middle-class families because we have friends and relatives (not to mention credit cards and loans) that can help us get through rough times. But what if we didn’t have these luxuries? What if you had no family, friends or credit to get a loan and then lost your job… how long could you last? Or worse, what if you lost your entire family? Would you be able to cope or would you look to something to help with the pain?It’s All about RelationshipsWorking here at the Mission I hear so many stories about how middle-class, educated people lost everything; men and women who lost their spouses and had no other family. It caused them to shrink into a deep depression, and before they knew it they were out on the streets trying to survive. During our public meal service, our chefs and volunteers are able to build relationships with our guests, and this in turn opens up doors for us to be able to pray with our guests.A few months back, Chef Mike Longo was approached by one of our guests. He asked Chef Mike to pray for him and his wife because he needed a job. Chef Mike told him he would be glad to pray for them right then and there, but the two had to promise that they would come back and let him know when the prayer was answered.The very next night the couple came to dinner and found Chef Mike. The guest saw Chef Mike and began to cry. Chef asked what was wrong. The man explained how he and his wife were sitting outside a gas station when a man walked by and then turned back and looked at him. That man said, “You need a job, and I am going to hire you.” He started working at a construction site that afternoon, which happened to be his trade. Not only did he get that job, but another foreman saw him working and offered him a second job. This man was crying, not because he was sad but because he was so overwhelmed with the instant answered prayer and blessings.Miracles like this are a continual occurrence at Springs Rescue Mission.If you would like to be a part of something bigger, consider volunteering at Samaritan’s Kitchen as one of our relationship builders. All we ask is for you to come on a regular basis to sit and talk/pray with our guests.