Heavenly Sweets is a great little bakery in town. They sell a variety of freshly baked donuts, bagels and delicious pastries. They are also kind enough to donate whatever they have left at the end of the day to the Grants Pass Gospel Rescue Mission. It is a real treat for the guys! They will attack a plate of day-old donuts like a pack of hyenas on a wildebeest. If I am fortunate enough to walk by in time, I will grab a donut myself (don’t tell my wife, I have high cholesterol). Even though they are not fresh, they are still very tasty.
However, on Thursday mornings I meet with a group of guys for Bible Study. Those days I get a good, super fresh donut.. and really there is no comparison. It is softer, sweeter, richer, and prettier than its one- or two-day old counterpart. It is hard to be satisfied with the day-old ones if you know the difference between it and a fresh one.
I think there is a life lesson here, and something that I deal with often at the Mission. A large percentage of the men that come to the Mission are so used to just getting the “day-old donuts” of life. It is reflected in their goals, their self-esteem, and their attitudes. I try to elevate their thinking, teaching them that they deserve and are capable of the fresh donuts in life. . .a great job, a nice vehicle, a safe house of their own. They are so used to the day-old donut lifestyle they accept it, thinking it is all there is, or all they have to offer. I challenge them and tell them I believe in them, in hopes that they will start believing in themselves.
As I look at my life I ask myself, “Where am I settling for day old donuts?” I hope you will do a quick inventory of your life as well. So go get an amazing donut from Heavenly Sweets and elevate the standards in your life!
By: Bobby Galli, Men’s Coordinator