You are so loved!
Several years ago, my late husband and I were involved with prison ministry through our local church and had been for about 18 years total. I will never forget one of those Sunday evenings that we were scheduled to go, we both were very tired physically and mentally from the work week; and to be very honest I just did not feel like going!
We both had a love for the incarcerated and enjoyed sharing the gospel message to them, but that evening we were just TIRED. My husband, a man of reason, convinced me that after some dinner and a short nap we would have a different perspective on going...well I did feel better after that but I still did not want to go... but we did.
There was silence in the car for the whole 40 minute drive to get there. Usually I would already have the list of songs that I would be singing, the accompaniment music in order and our equipment prepped to go, but I had no idea what I felt that I should minister to these people...not one thing came to mind. My husband on the other hand had his message prepared and ready to go but I was so distracted by my feelings that the excitement and anticipation that I usually felt when going to share was simply not there...basically, I wasn't feeling it y'all.
We got there and I did manage to get through security and greet all the staff and then the prisoners with a sincere smile and when it was my time to get up and sing at first I must have looked like a deer in head lights... "Lord help me", I whispered to myself and when I opened my eyes to look around at the faces before me, I knew immediately what song to sing. I opened my mouth and began to sing without accompaniment... "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong..." By the time that I got to the chorus, every prisoner, every staff member and every guest was singing along with me... "Yes, Jesus Loves me, Yes Jesus Love me, Yes Jesus Love me, the Bible tells me so."
After singing that little song several times over, needless to say there were many tears in that room, including mine. You see when the simple words of that song hit our hearts, those words went beyond our indifferences, our guilt, our pain, our hopelessness and yes even our weariness. Singing together that Jesus loves us no matter what we may feel, gave us an assurance and the courage to go on.
I am so thankful that we went that evening, if not I would have missed seeing the transformation on the faces and hopefully the hearts of the people. It changed me...
Just want you to know that YOU also are SO LOVED by Him. No matter what you may feel like, believe that Truth, He loves you with an everlasting love. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
We both had a love for the incarcerated and enjoyed sharing the gospel message to them, but that evening we were just TIRED. My husband, a man of reason, convinced me that after some dinner and a short nap we would have a different perspective on going...well I did feel better after that but I still did not want to go... but we did.
There was silence in the car for the whole 40 minute drive to get there. Usually I would already have the list of songs that I would be singing, the accompaniment music in order and our equipment prepped to go, but I had no idea what I felt that I should minister to these people...not one thing came to mind. My husband on the other hand had his message prepared and ready to go but I was so distracted by my feelings that the excitement and anticipation that I usually felt when going to share was simply not there...basically, I wasn't feeling it y'all.
We got there and I did manage to get through security and greet all the staff and then the prisoners with a sincere smile and when it was my time to get up and sing at first I must have looked like a deer in head lights... "Lord help me", I whispered to myself and when I opened my eyes to look around at the faces before me, I knew immediately what song to sing. I opened my mouth and began to sing without accompaniment... "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong..." By the time that I got to the chorus, every prisoner, every staff member and every guest was singing along with me... "Yes, Jesus Loves me, Yes Jesus Love me, Yes Jesus Love me, the Bible tells me so."
After singing that little song several times over, needless to say there were many tears in that room, including mine. You see when the simple words of that song hit our hearts, those words went beyond our indifferences, our guilt, our pain, our hopelessness and yes even our weariness. Singing together that Jesus loves us no matter what we may feel, gave us an assurance and the courage to go on.
I am so thankful that we went that evening, if not I would have missed seeing the transformation on the faces and hopefully the hearts of the people. It changed me...
Just want you to know that YOU also are SO LOVED by Him. No matter what you may feel like, believe that Truth, He loves you with an everlasting love. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
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