Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.
Jesus as quoted by Matthew
12 days ago….
17 River of Joy families partnered together to make a dent in the 100 woman waiting list at the Shakopee women’s prison for NIV Recovery Bibles.
19 children crafted book marks to place inside the Bibles that we hoped to purchase.
We prayed over the bookmarks and asked that God would shower his grace and embrace the women who would use them.
We passed around a paper lunch sack and collected over $1100 dollars that we thought would buy us 44 Bibles at $25 per paperback Bible.
Since then….
We have found the Bible in hardcover (which is out of print) for $13 per Bible.
We received two additional checks for God’s cause in providing his promise to these women.
We ordered 85 of the Bibles which will be delivered next week.
We received a heartfelt thank you from the prison chaplain.
We arranged for a partnership with a congregation to have this ministry as their focus on their mission Sunday.
We have thanked God for the opportunity to be an earthen vessel that pours out God’s blessing and allows the kingdom to be seen (ever so dimly) through 'small things that have been done with great love.'
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As I write this I am listening to the song “Awesome God” – “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love.”
ReplyDeleteOur God is an awesome God indeed. Seeing Him at work in the lives of the women I have met in prison is, for me, experiencing heaven on earth.
Like other volunteers, I came hoping to bring the light of Christ into the darkness. And we have. But we have seen the face of Jesus shine through these women with a grace, faith, hope and love greater than any other I have seen.
Let me share with you a bit of this light. On the Tuesday after we collected the donations for the Bibles, Steve called to tell me how many Bibles we would be able to buy. I called Chaplain Berg to share the good news. He said: “This is fantastic! This is an ongoing, endless need. The most common request from new offenders is for a Bible. They are coming in scared and shamed and even if they've never read a Bible, it is a symbol of hope and forgiveness." He asked me to express his gratitude for your generosity and spirit.
That evening, I was scheduled to do the Alpha talk on “Why and How Do I Read the Bible?” It’s a talk I’ve only given twice and don’t feel very comfortable with. But the Holy Spirit impressed the words of the Chaplain on my heart: “it is a symbol of hope and forgiveness.” Oh how I wanted to express the beauty of this love letter from God. And so through the work of the Holy Spirit the talk flowed off my tongue.
Following the talk, we gathered for our small group discussion.
Jesus shined through as Hope shared her Bible, stuffed with notes, reflections, writings from her time in her Bible. She said reading her Bible is worship to her. She then shared how when she can’t sleep at night, she puts her Bible under her pillow and is able to sleep. Or when she’s scared, she lays her hand on her Bible and her fear disappears. Have I ever felt that kind of peace from His word?
Jesus shined through as Sherri told about the times she’s been in SEG (isolation). Each time, she has spent days reading her Bible. She has come to recognize that as needed time to learn something. (And does she know the Word!) Have I ever spent that kind of time in His Word seeking His lesson for me?
Jesus shined through as Beth, age 31 and a mother of seven, said prison is “God’s Retreat Center.” Like others, she says, “I’d be dead if I wasn’t here. God rescued me. He has given me the space and the time to spend developing a relationship with Him.” Reading her Bible is one of the ways she is coming to know her God. Have I ever considered the luxury I have of “retreating” with God?
I left that evening carried home by the Spirit with a joy so deep. Will I ever see my Bible in the same way? Our God is an awesome God indeed.
In faith, hope and joy,
Theresa