A Letter from Jail

I open the mailbox last week to discover a handwritten letter addressed to me. After opening it, I soon realized that it was written by an inmate sharing how much he enjoyed reading my book, I Have Ears. Now I visit a Knox County detention center nearly every week to teach from I Have Ears or various pieces of discipleship material. However, this letter was delivered from a jail I've never visited. I have never even donated or delivered a book to this men's jail. 

So, you can imagine my surprise to receive the letter. My curiosity was peaked. I set out to write back, but took a leap and called the jail to see if I could visit this man. Needless to say, I was glad to find out I could have a face to face visit with this mystery inmate named Ricky.

Today I was able to sit across from Ricky and learn about his life, his faith, his failures, and his hopeful future. I was blessed to hear him share how the scriptures have felt alive as a result of truths he had gleaned from the book. I rejoiced in the fact that my experiences were inspiring this man to draw close to Christ every day. And I'll tell you, he gave me a great book report synopsis of the three sections. It was truly encouraging. Unfortunately, I never did find out how he got a copy of the book (the mystery continues).

It just goes to show that you never know exactly how God will use your efforts, influence, and heart for His Kingdom. It had motivated me to keep up my ministry of teaching and writing in order to advance the gospel cause. 

Please remember me in your prayers as I have this unique opportunity each week with these very special men (My weekly Matthew 25:34-40 Moment).

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