IS THIS MY PROBLEM
It seems almost impossible that a whole year has
passed since our sentencing. God has been so good to Jeff and I and our
children.
I got a letter from my husband today, and he wrote something that God had been working in my heart about. Jeff said, "We are all sinners. God is no respect or of persons. Somebody has to share the Gospel with these folks, and we can't do it if we won't talk to them. I know it's a whole different ballgame here, but these people need to hear the Gospel too." Then he shared these verses with me.
Matthew 9:10-13 "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Jesus spent a lot of time with folks no one else wanted to be around: Samaritans, beggars, lepers, tax collectors, children, crippled, blind, sick, demonic possessed, adulterers and the common denominator is they were all sinners. I began to wonder if Jesus visited America today, where would he go? Would he spend all His time in churches with Christians? Would we be asking Jesus the same question the Pharisees asked His disciples? Why are you hanging out with sinners?
One day I saw an inmate with an orange ID, and I asked her about it as most IDs are white. She said hers was orange because she was a trained hospice worker. I then asked her if she worked in a nursing home through the work release program, and she said, "No, I work with inmates here in prison." Then it hit me. There are women in this prison who are dying right now. There are women here, who will never be released they are going to die here.
As I go about my day, I no longer just see people. I see souls that have an eternal destination. Who is going to reach them? Who is going to share the Gospel with people no one wants to be around? How many prisons are in America? How many "bad" neighborhoods are there? Before coming to prison I was guilty of avoiding or not thinking about certain people. Someone else will reach them was my excuse.
Now God is saying, "Joy, what are you going to do? When you are released, are you going to live your own life and forget these souls, who need you to tell them about Me?" This song plays through my mind.
People Need the Lord
Every day they pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realize
That we must give our lives
For people need the Lord
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZcGaixMhg
I got a letter from my husband today, and he wrote something that God had been working in my heart about. Jeff said, "We are all sinners. God is no respect or of persons. Somebody has to share the Gospel with these folks, and we can't do it if we won't talk to them. I know it's a whole different ballgame here, but these people need to hear the Gospel too." Then he shared these verses with me.
Matthew 9:10-13 "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Jesus spent a lot of time with folks no one else wanted to be around: Samaritans, beggars, lepers, tax collectors, children, crippled, blind, sick, demonic possessed, adulterers and the common denominator is they were all sinners. I began to wonder if Jesus visited America today, where would he go? Would he spend all His time in churches with Christians? Would we be asking Jesus the same question the Pharisees asked His disciples? Why are you hanging out with sinners?
One day I saw an inmate with an orange ID, and I asked her about it as most IDs are white. She said hers was orange because she was a trained hospice worker. I then asked her if she worked in a nursing home through the work release program, and she said, "No, I work with inmates here in prison." Then it hit me. There are women in this prison who are dying right now. There are women here, who will never be released they are going to die here.
As I go about my day, I no longer just see people. I see souls that have an eternal destination. Who is going to reach them? Who is going to share the Gospel with people no one wants to be around? How many prisons are in America? How many "bad" neighborhoods are there? Before coming to prison I was guilty of avoiding or not thinking about certain people. Someone else will reach them was my excuse.
Now God is saying, "Joy, what are you going to do? When you are released, are you going to live your own life and forget these souls, who need you to tell them about Me?" This song plays through my mind.
People Need the Lord
Every day they pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams
He's the open door
People need the Lord
People need the Lord
When will we realize
That we must give our lives
For people need the Lord
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZcGaixMhg
I'm praying daily for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteLove this! Such a good reminder!
ReplyDelete