Over the past year a small group meets up at our county jail on Tuesday evenings.
As the female inmates ask the Chaplain for one on one visits~ we help him serve that purpose.
We have a small window of opportunity to make a difference there.
As the female inmates ask the Chaplain for one on one visits~ we help him serve that purpose.
We have a small window of opportunity to make a difference there.
We plant seeds of faith.
We give of our time, energy and love of Jesus Christ to meet them exactly where they are.
.
This has been my absolute privilege.
Some have just been one time visits.
Other gals have become weekly visits for the duration of their time there.
The gist of what we do is give these ladies our attention and our time.
We listen.
We laugh.
We cry.
We learn.
And we pray. Lord~ we pray.
We have the privilege of giving them godly direction based on the truth of God's Word.
I have seen first hand the cycle of some of these girls getting out and messing up and coming right back.
Then there are the girls that get sentenced to prison.
And lastly there are those that go back into society.
For a few...I see a distinct difference.
I see sparks and flashes of joy, hope, light and peace in that dark jail.
For a lot more...I see women that are carrying a lifetime of hurt. They have given up on trusting anyone...especially God.
This is heartbreaking.
But nevertheless~ the choice to choose and trust the love of Jesus is ultimately up to them.
One gal we met early on in this ministry captured our hearts.
She was full of charisma and honest to the core.
She was sick of her cycle of sin.
She wanted to grow in her relationship with Jesus.
Carrie and I would meet with her almost weekly. We saw tremendous spiritual growth, obedience and discernment in her life.
We also saw the wearing down process. She would have set-backs. She would mess up and beat herself up for it.
We would continue to encourage her and spur her on in her walk with the Lord.
Back in March she got sent to a women's rehab/prison.
It was a bittersweet goodbye.
Our weekly visits had come to an end. She was nervous about going away. We covered her in prayers and hugs and watched her walk forward into consequences that were ahead of her.
We have continued our Tuesday night visits.
And now we have added writing letters to our sister in prison/rehab.
In her letters to us she asked if we would be willing to come visit her.
There was paperwork to be filled out and documents to provide for the approval process. Carrie and I did our part and we were approved for a visit.
This past Sunday we hit the road early to head south and see our sweet friend.
It took a village of people helping out with our kids and arranging schedules to allow us the time away.
But God provided it.
We arrived at the prison/rehab a few minutes early to pray over our visit.
Normally at this time on a Sunday Carrie and I would be attending church with our families. Instead, we sat in a parking lot staring at high fences covered in blade wrapped wire.
Our friend was on the other side of that stark heavily secured place.
We went through the security process of getting in. We had to empty our pockets, get patted down, and take off our shoes. Finally after 3 clicked doors we went to a big visiting room and sat at our assigned make-shift table.
And waited...
It had been 6 months since we had seen our friend.
When she came in the door and saw us there every single inconvenience we encountered in clearing our schedules to get there completely vanished.
She could not get over the fact that we were there.
That we had left our families.
That we had driven the miles it would take.
That we were the first ones there anxious to see HER.
She squealed and so did we. We hugged her neck and let our eyes settle in on her sweet face.
For the next 2 and a half hours we did what we used to do with our friend.
We listened.
We ate. (she had prepared us to bring a bag of quarters to eat from the vending machines)
We laughed. (she is hilarious by the way)
We shared.
We learned.
We prayed.
As we listened to her share her journey of the past 6 months it sounded a lot like my own....
There were victories. Failures. Joys. Deep sadness.
There were fears ahead of her and regrets as she looked back.
Whether we sit in a prison of our making or walk in freedom in the outside world we are people making choices.
Are we going to trust God or not?
Are we going to believe His promises and trust His Word or not?
Are we going to be led by how we feel or stand upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Are we going to pray for strength and help from the Lord?
These are daily questions for me.
These are daily questions for Carrie.
And yep, these are daily questions for our sweet friend that sits in south Georgia in a prison/rehab.
We are more alike than most people realize.
And here is what I know: God is as crazy about her as He is about me.
His love for her drove Him to the cross of Calvary.
His grace, mercy and forgiveness is accessible to her.
She is worth His time.
She is valuable to Him.
She has a purpose.
Y'all, sometimes I can't get over the goodness of Jesus.
He delights to rescue us. To redeem us. To encourage us. To show us love and mercy.
And he also delights in using us as a part of His rescue of another.....
How astounding is that?!?
What a privilege!
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
This passage reminds me of our visit.
Jesus expresses serious emphasis on the ONE sheep that is lost.
In a culture of so many...each person is One precious soul to Jesus.
Sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels for the 99 that refuse to repent.
I go after the crowd.
I spend my effort and energy in the big group....in the masses.
Jesus says the ONE that will repent brings insane rejoicing in heaven.
If we are not careful we can miss them.
Look. Listen. Be intentional.
Lost sheep are all around.
Going after one will cost you. You will spend your time, prayer, money, and effort. There will be many disappointments. But the occasional joys are glorious and worth it.
The enemy tells us the job is too big and no one ever changes.
Jesus tells us that the results are not up to us.
We can allow a million "what-if's" to keep us from the messy miracle of the gospel.
I am so thankful Jesus sees the one.
I am a life forever changed by the grace of God.
Carrie is a life forever changed by the grace of God.
How can we not go after the One?
Our weekly visits had come to an end. She was nervous about going away. We covered her in prayers and hugs and watched her walk forward into consequences that were ahead of her.
We have continued our Tuesday night visits.
And now we have added writing letters to our sister in prison/rehab.
In her letters to us she asked if we would be willing to come visit her.
There was paperwork to be filled out and documents to provide for the approval process. Carrie and I did our part and we were approved for a visit.
This past Sunday we hit the road early to head south and see our sweet friend.
It took a village of people helping out with our kids and arranging schedules to allow us the time away.
But God provided it.
We arrived at the prison/rehab a few minutes early to pray over our visit.
Normally at this time on a Sunday Carrie and I would be attending church with our families. Instead, we sat in a parking lot staring at high fences covered in blade wrapped wire.
Our friend was on the other side of that stark heavily secured place.
We went through the security process of getting in. We had to empty our pockets, get patted down, and take off our shoes. Finally after 3 clicked doors we went to a big visiting room and sat at our assigned make-shift table.
And waited...
It had been 6 months since we had seen our friend.
When she came in the door and saw us there every single inconvenience we encountered in clearing our schedules to get there completely vanished.
She could not get over the fact that we were there.
That we had left our families.
That we had driven the miles it would take.
That we were the first ones there anxious to see HER.
She squealed and so did we. We hugged her neck and let our eyes settle in on her sweet face.
For the next 2 and a half hours we did what we used to do with our friend.
We listened.
We ate. (she had prepared us to bring a bag of quarters to eat from the vending machines)
We laughed. (she is hilarious by the way)
We shared.
We learned.
We prayed.
As we listened to her share her journey of the past 6 months it sounded a lot like my own....
There were victories. Failures. Joys. Deep sadness.
There were fears ahead of her and regrets as she looked back.
Whether we sit in a prison of our making or walk in freedom in the outside world we are people making choices.
Are we going to trust God or not?
Are we going to believe His promises and trust His Word or not?
Are we going to be led by how we feel or stand upon the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Are we going to pray for strength and help from the Lord?
These are daily questions for me.
These are daily questions for Carrie.
And yep, these are daily questions for our sweet friend that sits in south Georgia in a prison/rehab.
We are more alike than most people realize.
And here is what I know: God is as crazy about her as He is about me.
His love for her drove Him to the cross of Calvary.
His grace, mercy and forgiveness is accessible to her.
She is worth His time.
She is valuable to Him.
She has a purpose.
Y'all, sometimes I can't get over the goodness of Jesus.
He delights to rescue us. To redeem us. To encourage us. To show us love and mercy.
And he also delights in using us as a part of His rescue of another.....
How astounding is that?!?
What a privilege!
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:1-7)
This passage reminds me of our visit.
Jesus expresses serious emphasis on the ONE sheep that is lost.
In a culture of so many...each person is One precious soul to Jesus.
Sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels for the 99 that refuse to repent.
I go after the crowd.
I spend my effort and energy in the big group....in the masses.
Jesus says the ONE that will repent brings insane rejoicing in heaven.
If we are not careful we can miss them.
Look. Listen. Be intentional.
Lost sheep are all around.
Going after one will cost you. You will spend your time, prayer, money, and effort. There will be many disappointments. But the occasional joys are glorious and worth it.
The enemy tells us the job is too big and no one ever changes.
Jesus tells us that the results are not up to us.
We can allow a million "what-if's" to keep us from the messy miracle of the gospel.
I am so thankful Jesus sees the one.
I am a life forever changed by the grace of God.
Carrie is a life forever changed by the grace of God.
How can we not go after the One?
1 comment:
This one precious child of God is going to impact many with her testimony. It has been such a privilege to watch God free her from the adversary's grasp and begin to heal her deep pain. Thank you for allowing God to use you to love those precious ones that society has forgotten.
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