At the time, Jim was asking God the same question. "What am I doing here?" he prayed bitterly. "Why has this happened to me?" Everything in Jim's life had pointed to success. Armed with a master's degree in computer sciences, he had always landed high-paying jobs. He was married with three grown sons, all college graduates themselves.

Then in 2003, Jim's longtime marriage ended in a heartrending and costly divorce. After moving into an apartment, he lost his job. "Finally I had no money for rent. I was out mailing resumes when the landlord locked me out of my apartment without warning. I lost everything."

Emotions wash over Jim as he recounts what happened next. "Pride wouldn't allow me to go to my family. I was going to sleep in the park when a policeman saw me and brought me to Open Door Mission. I felt demoralized, bitter and ashamed."

One day, while Jim sat in the day room reading the book of Job, a chaplain approached him and said, "Trying to come to grips, brother?" After the two talked and prayed together, Jim says, "I slept that night without torment for the first time."

Jim joined the Mission's Resident programs , reconnecting with Jesus Christ and taking courses in anger management, emotional responsibility and Windows for computer. Analytical by nature, he was often critical of the programs , but staff responded with patience and even gratitude.

As months passed, Jim often noted the staff treating homeless guests with dignity and respect. "I used to see, analyze and plan strategies. I was distant and cost efficient," he says. "But compassion changed my personality."

Today, Jim serves on the Mission's staff as kitchen supervisor. "I like turning chaos into order," he jokes. "You can't be a wimp and work in the kitchen." He is also a deacon and choir member in his church.

His renewed relationship with Christ surprises even him! "It's been so effective it's scary!" he says. "The cross has brought me peace and peace of mind. I'm the old Jim, confident, but with patience now." Jim

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