Lance's Corner

For a while there, having a place of my own felt like a distant dream living in California. Even so, I believed God was preparing a way, I just didn’t know when that day would come.

While I was living in the shelter, I had finally found a stable job. Every paycheck mattered, and instead of spending my money on things I didn’t need, I saved as much as I could. I knew that one day an opportunity would come, and I wanted to be ready when it did.

At the same time, I never stopped praying.

I asked God to open the right door and provide a place that I could finally call home.

While I was living in the shelter, I was introduced to a housing resource through my LA Care Health Plan called HOLA Services. Being accepted into their program became another turning point in my journey.

The staff at HOLA Services didn’t just hand me a list of apartments and send me on my way. They walked alongside me through the entire process. They helped me search for apartments, complete applications, and encouraged me not to give up, even when finding housing seemed impossible.

Finding an affordable apartment wasn’t easy.

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into months.

Months turned into years.

There were times when I wondered if I would ever receive that phone call.

But I kept working.

I kept saving.

Most importantly…

I kept praying.

Then one day, everything changed.

I received a phone call from one of the apartment communities asking me to come in and complete the final paperwork.

I could hardly believe it.

After everything I had been through, this was the moment I had been praying for.

I completed the paperwork, and because I had been faithfully saving money from my job, I already had the deposit ready.

Looking back, I know that wasn’t an accident.

God had been preparing me for that moment long before I ever received the phone call.

The very next day, after my background check was completed, I was handed the keys to my apartment.

Holding those keys in my hand was one of the most emotional moments of my life.

I thought about sleeping on the grass in the park.

I thought about the nights I had to move because the sprinklers came on.

I thought about the churches that fed me when I was hungry.

I thought about the shelter that gave me a safe place to sleep.

I thought about every prayer I had whispered, asking God not to give up on me.

Standing there with my apartment keys in my hand, I couldn’t hold back my emotions.

I prayed.

I cried.

And I thanked God for giving me another chance.

Moving into an empty apartment would have been a blessing by itself.

But God wasn’t finished showing His faithfulness.

While I was attending therapy during my time in the shelter, the program learned that I had finally been approved for housing. They stepped in and helped furnish my apartment. They provided my living room furniture, my dining room set, my bedroom furniture, and so many of the things I needed to begin this new chapter.

I walked into an apartment that wasn’t just empty walls.

It was becoming a home.

Looking back now, I can see that every difficult season had a purpose.

The loss.

The homelessness.

The park.

The shelter.

The prayers.

The waiting.

Every step prepared me for the moment I unlocked the door to my own home.

If my journey has taught me anything, it’s this:

Never lose hope.

Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers as quickly as we’d like.

But while we’re waiting, He’s preparing us for the blessing that’s on the other side.

Today, when I unlock my apartment door after work, I’m reminded that hope is never wasted.

God is faithful.

And He can change a life that seems impossible to rebuild.

Looking back at everything I went through, I never lost hope in God or in my belief that one day I would find a place to call home. There were difficult days, moments of uncertainty, and times when I didn’t know how things would work out, but I kept praying, kept working, and kept moving forward.

Today, I’m grateful for every part of my journey even the painful chapters. Living through homelessness gave me a deep understanding of what so many people face every single day. It taught me compassion, humility, and never to take the simple blessings in life for granted.

If my story can encourage even one person to keep believing, keep praying, and never give up, then sharing it has been worth it. God can open doors when it seems like there are none. I know that because He did it for me.

Thank you for reading another chapter of my journey. If this story encouraged you, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and share a time when Faith carried you through a difficult season.