The American Dream Sidetracked . . . Temporarily!
Looking at the Lane family . . . ‘homeless’ probably isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind-and it especially wasn’t where the family thought they would be a year ago. Darren was an entrepreneur and gifted writer with a Bachelor’s Degree. Cathryn, a loving wife and mother is nearly always wearing a dress and makes sure that the girl’s hair is styled to impress. The Lane’s have been married for 10 years, yet not even this seemingly normal family could escape becoming victims of homelessness.
When Darren and Cathryn Lane were married they didn’t have much financially. The two managed to secure a quaint apartment and both worked hard -Darren as a car salesman and Cathryn with a homeless emergency shelter and the local school system.
Soon after their marriage, the Lanes learned that they would become parents. Simultaneously, Darren’s career at the auto dealership picked up. He was promoted to Special Finance Director, so Cathryn was able to leave both of her jobs to become a full-time homemaker.
Darren appreciated the promotion and the benefits it carried until he became convicted that his position at the dealership was setting others up for long-term debt and failure. “As I sat at my desk, I realized that I was being a task master and that my position was putting others in bondage. That same day I quit my job.”
It took great faith for Darren to leave the job that had met the needs of his family, yet he knew that obeying the Lord would lead to far greater rewards. “If we fix our eyes on Jesus . . . we too can walk on water,” Darren says with a smile.
Before long, Darren got the training and education to begin a successful-and very profitable-career in real estate. Within a few years, he was given the opportunity to start his own company. The company grew quickly providing the family with everything they needed and desired. The Lane family had a 3,900 square foot home with luxury cars filling the garage-until the real estate market turned upside-down.
As times grew worse and savings depleted, Darren remembers sitting in his home office saying to his wife, “I am going to throw these bills in the air and whatever hits the desk, I will pay. The ones that hit the floor will have to wait.”
The Lane family had reached a financial crisis. Eventually, the cars were repossessed and their beautiful home was foreclosed. Their vision of the American dream had crumbled so quickly-they had nowhere to go and were completely unsure of what the future held.
After staying with family members for nearly a month, the Lanes sought out help from O.U.R. Mission Home — the Mission’s facility for families. As they walked in the door for the first time, these loving parents felt a wave of relief, knowing they would have safe, stable shelter for their children.
Although life at the Mission wasn’t the American dream the Lanes had hoped for, they are grateful for a clean, safe place to stay while they regain their footing. Darren is currently working as a salesman with hopes of working in a Christ-centered, ministry-oriented business one day, while Cathryn is working in retail. The girls-Morgan, Cathryn, and Desiree-are excelling in school and enjoy playing with their friends at the Mission.
Unsure about the amount of time it will take for the Lanes to rebuild their lives, Darren explains how this experience has changed his life forever,
“I will never look at the indigent, homeless, drug addict or alcoholic the same way. We are so thankful for a bed and physical and spiritual food that we found at the Mission . . . I thank God for this time in my life and prayerfully hope that you too would view the homeless and indigent not as a problem or mistake, but as an individual going through a storm that God is doing a work in and through individuals like you can turn misery into a miracle.”
