Level Ground

I've lost track of the day/month/year I became involved in jail ministry and as close as I can tell it's somewhere in the 15- 17 year range.  There have been many Sundays like today, that I wake feeling inadequate, unprepared, and ill-equipped to make the hours drive to the facility where I serve and meet with women who may or may not want to see or hear the Word I come bearing.

I'm ok with that.  I do and don't go for them.  I do go to share the message of Christ -  of hope, healing, and restoration through the Gospel message, and I don't go expecting anything from them.  I care, but I'm not emotional about it.  It's about being faithful, not about acceptance or rejection.

I've made the drive some days for naught -  turned away because of an outbreak of head lice or women with no appetite for spiritual things.  Some days I quality time with one or two hungry souls.  Other days I leave spent and drained after pouring the Word into multiple cells with multiple hungry hearts and a zillion questions.

I love it.  I never know what to expect except that God is in control. Over the years I've been privileged to include almost my entire immediate family, my mom and even inlaws in aspects of the ministry.  Administrations have come and gone, buildings have gone up, dogs, protocols and rules have been added, but at the end of the day, it's still about sitting across from each other and opening the Scriptures.

These women, these amazing, beautiful, women, for the most part are no different than I.  Yes, they've been involved with things that got them in trouble.  Most are sins of the flesh that got the best of them.  Some are nothing more than stupid irresponsibility.  Only a very few are downright evil.   Many know and have a genuine love for God.  Many more have begun their spiritual journey in that direction.

Today was special.  It was one of those rare days we got down and dirty with the raw truth of how ugly sin is and were lifted up with the glorious truth of our Savior's power to overcome sin, hell, death and the grave.  We enjoyed fellowship, laughed, anguished, counseled and cried together.  When I left we embraced in prayer looking forward to doing it again in heaven.

I've heard people say, "There, but for the grace of God, go I" in regard to those who have stumbled or are less fortunate.  I've come to dislike that statement.  God's grace doesn't make me better than anyone else.  I may have better circumstances, but I'm not loved any more than they are.  The sacrifice of Calvary is there to cover their failures every bit as much as my own.

That being said,  jail is a special place for me and even on mornings like today life wouldn't be the same without "doing my time".  There is no pretending, no posturing, and no agendas.  Just women trying to help each other get through a tough time and meeting together on the level ground at the foot of the Cross where we're all sinners in need.

Good Saint Nic

LIFE!  I thought it was supposed to slow down as you approached retirement age but that doesn't seem to be the case here.  Recently I realized that I need to re-do my bucket list because there are still so many things I want to do!

But that's another lament for another time.  At this moment I just want to put down for posterity another beautiful treasure I found this week in the pages of that dusty old book called the Bible.  Here goes!

There's this guy named Leroy.  We share a ride to or from our closest large city every now and again.  He's an elderly gentleman who drives slow and enjoys good conversation. He's sharp and loves to talk about the Bible and things in Scripture.  It's always an enjoyable ride.

Last week we chanced to be together again and got to talking about Nicodemus.  If you're not familiar Nicodemus is the guy who came to Jesus by night asking (my paraphrase) "WHO are you???" It was blowing the old teachers mind that this young roughneck was doing such miracles.  Plus I think he remembered a 12 year old boy who was left at the temple by some neglectful parents some years before and wondered if it was the same guy.   Whether by omnipotence or memory or both, Jesus obviously knew who he was. . . . all speculation on my part but the the pieces fit the puzzle.  Regardless, that question started the conversation that led to the most famous verse in the Bible:  John 3:16.

I have long believed from Nic's actions following that encounter that he truly came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. One of the reasons is that he so tenderly and lavishly cared for the body of our Lord after the crucifixion.  Seriously.  Who dresses the wounds of a dead man??  They didn't have open casket funerals back then.  The best you could do was slow down the smell long enough to get them sealed up or buried.

So when I was studying some stuff putting together a children's lesson I bumped into a fascinating message about the immutability of God. Immutability is that characteristic where God Never Changes.  Even if He changes his mind about something, it will be in keeping with His character.

Anyway . . . Acts 2:24   . . . "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Why would Peter say it was impossible for Jesus not to raise from the dead?  Because the Bible had already said it!  Psalm 16:10: " For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."  That verse was a statement of God's character, a prophecy and a promise.  My paraphrase again:  "you're not going to leave me in the grave just like you're not going to let your Holy One rot in a grave!"

BAM!  There you go!  Nick knew that verse.  The old teacher guy who had taught the Old Testament all his life knew that body wasn't going to stay there cause God had said so years before and Nic knew God meant exactly what He said.

I didn't know all that during the drive with Leroy.  We had to agree that my belief about Nicodemus  was a personal conclusion since it wasn't specifically spelled out in the Bible.

But I've got the goods now and I can't WAIT to ride with him again and share this!