“The best thing that ever happened to me!”

“Following Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me!”

Brother Keith first came to Memphis Union Mission after being paroled from prison. However, he was still in a prison of his own making.

He graduated from the program, but quickly reverted to his old life of addiction and homelessness. In time, he decided the streets were not where he wanted to spend the rest of his life and gave the Mission another chance.

He became a Resident Assistant, helping out in any other way he could: cleaning bathrooms, taking donations, anything he was asked to do. But he knew there was a bigger picture. What was his life after the Mission going to look like?

“I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing with my life,” Brother Keith admits, “so I asked God.” His answer came in a verse from an old Bible he found in the sanctuary: “Be still, and know that I am God …” (Psalm 46:10). “I took that advice, and I still preach out of that old book today,” he tells us. In the stillness, God led Brother Keith to ministry. The Mission provided mentoring by Pastor Jeff and helped Brother Keith get into theology school. It changed his life. “Following Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me!” he says.

Today, in addition to his ministry, Brother Keith owns a lawn care company. He has been sober for 14 years and married for seven years. He also volunteers at the Mission, teaching discipleship classes. “When I get a chance to pour my life into others, it gives me a chance to give God the glory,” he explains. “He turned a ‘nothing’ into ‘something,’ and now I’m able to help others who have been addicted to drugs and alcohol and doing wrong things in their life.”

Brother Keith says Memphis Union Mission is special because of the love shown by the staff, volunteers and donors like you. “Thank you for giving, because I couldn’t have done this by myself!” he tells you. “Jesus said to Peter, ‘If you love me, feed my sheep.’ Well, there are a lot of Peters out there, feeding the sheep! I’m doing ministry because I want to feed the sheep too.

It’s a wonderful way of life.”