Laurie wanted for nothing.She grew up in a suburb of Detroit in the ‘60s. Motown was a hit-making machine, the automobile industry was at its peak and her dad’s job at Ford Motor Company meant the family of seven was well cared for.She did well in school, had many friends, got married and had a beautiful baby boy. The happy family grew tired of Michigan winters and moved to sunny California in 2003 (when their son was in third grade). Laurie’s husband had a good job that allowed her to pursue a college degree. She was torn between the fields of nursing and teaching, but was determined to do something that mattered.

“I just wanted to do something to help people,” she said. “That’s always kind of been my purpose in life, I think. It’s my God-given gift.”

They traveled across the country and vacationed in Hawaii. Life seemed too good to be true. But it wasn’t long after moving out west that their marriage began to disintegrate, and Laurie’s drinking didn’t help. All of a sudden, the good life seemed to be slipping away.In 2006, she sought help for her alcoholism and checked herself into a Pasadena rehab facility. But it was too late for their marriage: the damage was done and the couple divorced the following year.“I was drinking and all of that,” she said. “I just couldn’t get my life together. … And then everything just fell apart.”After the divorce, Laurie was listless. To be closer to her son, she started a job at his school and resumed her pursuit of a teaching degree. She was surrounded by a darkness that seemed never-ending — but that’s when she met Ron.Ron was tall and handsome, a limo driver from Los Angeles who once served as a stand-in for Clint Eastwood (they once went on a double date with the famed actor). Laurie felt alive in ways she hadn’t since her marriage went south, and her relationship with Ron quickly became serious.Laurie was eager to start a new life with Ron by her side, and moved to Los Angeles to be with him. She finally got her teaching license and began working in special education at a nearby elementary school. Things were looking up.

“I loved the job – and I love children,” she said. “I always have.”

But Ron was 20 years older and experiencing complications of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). As the disease progressed, he went to live in a care facility before dying in 2015 at age 71. Laurie’s heart was once again left in pieces.

“We had some really good years that I’m really thankful for,” she said. “We were going to go to Arizona because of his breathing, but we couldn’t make it work. But I always wanted to come here to Colorado Springs with him.”Around the same time, she lost her mother, father and three brothers (one to AIDS and the others to heroin). The loss of Ron tipped her over the edge, and life came crashing down.“I had a family inheritance and could do anything I wanted to do, but I didn’t have anyone to do it with,” she said. “My life started falling apart again. … I was empty, and nothing felt right.”Hoping to start fresh and leave the past behind, she moved to Colorado Springs and stayed in hotels while looking for more permanent housing. She was in a place she found gorgeous, but still dealing with the brokenness of grief.

“I felt homeless already, because I was living in hotel rooms all by myself,” she said. “I was a mess.”

The money soon dried up and she found herself at Springs Rescue Mission. She’s been living in the women’s shelter for almost a year.“It was the first time I had stayed in a shelter, and it was terrifying,” she said. “It’s hard to go from that – having money and staying in nice hotels – to this, and to walk down the same streets. I still walk past all of the restaurants and bars I loved to go to.”Laurie joined work engagement to stay busy, but she didn’t expect much. But — to her surprise — the decision to get involved has been a great blessing that has brought her confidence, a sense of purpose and deep friendships.“Work engagement I consider like a second family – I really do,” she said. “There’s a good camaraderie and we really care about each other. It works.”In September, she was in an accident and broke her femur. Emergency surgery ensured her eventual recovery, but she was left having to use a walker.

On the face of it, such a serious injury is catastrophic (especially for someone who’s already been through so much). But it may have been a blessing in disguise — a revelation of something greater at play.“Chef Lukas told me I was going to be OK, and he started praying over me,” she said. “He was even praying in tongues, and I started to cry because I was in so much pain and thought I wouldn’t walk again. I had heard about people speaking in tongues, but didn’t know anything about it. When he started doing it, I just felt peace and I knew I was going to be OK.”\While many people have lofty goals and 10-year plans, Laurie longs to once again enjoy the small, simple things in life; things she may have once taken for granted. She longs for good health, a home of her own and employment that will allow her to help people. She wants to be a better person, and a better friend.“The thing that keeps me going – what gets me though the hard days – are the little things people say. Sometimes people say nice things, compliments, encouragements, and I just know that I’ll be OK and that I have people who care about me,” she said. “And I want to be that for my friends and the people I care about.”Despite having seemingly lost it all, Laurie’s looking on the bright side of life. She’s confidently walking toward a beautiful future she knows one day will come.

“No matter where I go, I end up being blessed,” she said. “And I know this isn’t where it ends.”

* Since this story was written, Laurie has moved into an apartment with her boyfriend.Subscribe to our blog to learn more about Springs Rescue Mission and others like Laurie — people who have seen tough times but are committed to breaking the cycles of homelessness, hunger and addiction in their lives. We see stories of hope and transformation lived out every day, and we’d love to share them with you.