The Encouragement of a Friend

It’s been a while. Like the whole summer that I haven’t entered anything on this blog, or did my radio broadcast on Blog Talk Radio, or updated my ministry website. Why? I’m glad you asked. Even church and ministry leaders get discouraged and need encouragement. But where do they go, or should it may be said, to whom do they go when their down?

Some days ago I wrote about the Encouragement of a Son. My son encouraged me when he and his family where were visiting over the summer. I needed that encouragement, was blessed by it and began to make preparations to return to the blog, the radio show and seeking means of doing prison ministry. Then “bam” I was let down again, disappointed once more, frustrated with religious folks and generally turned off.
And so for another few weeks I drug around with my head down…forgetting my son’s encouraging words, never minding the fact that he was listening, watching, waiting to hear a Word. Then after some weeks I got a letter from a old friend, a friend who should be walking around all the time with his head down…discouraged, disappointed, frustrated, but he is not!

Why? I’m glad you asked. You see my friend is incarcerated behind prison walls for his participation in a crime some 35 years ago. He is known by the title “lifer” in the prison system, went to jail at 15 years old and he just turned 51. This man has served Christ longer than some of you have been alive…I say some of you for I am his age.

He’s in jail you say? For a crime…well then that is where he should be. Yeah, but he has seen other men commit worse, far worse offenses that he did do their 10-20, or 15-25 and get out…only to re-offend, commit a more heinous act come back do that bit and get out again. Screwed up system that punishes a person for life because they couldn’t afford a high price lawyer, or there from the inner city but allows “others” to keep on doing crimes and receiving no punishment
Well this man, my friend wrote me a letter from prison…wrote and told me how blessed he was to hear a Word from many years past…wrote and told me my son was not the only one person who heard, whose faith had grew, and that there were many others…many who we will not know of or hear of on this side of glory who are somewhere listening, watching, waiting.

My son and my friend…wow…who could ask for anything better!