Which Way Did They Go?

Capturing the emotion of a moment is perhaps the greatest challenge of any writer. The ability to put into words what races through one's entire mind and body in a particular moment is, in my mind, paramount to successful writing. Today I hope to convey such a moment. My present construction project is at a prison here in Nevada. Certainly not a wonderful place for any who are onsite, though the free men get to leave when their shift is done. Casual observations of prison life, from the outside, have turned into a sort of fascination. An odyssey of sorts. A quest of questions. Why, how, who are all queries I have pondered as well as asked my escorts. Different castes, good guys and bad guys. Good guys making bad momentary decisions. Anger, hatred, drunkenness. Any number of reasons taking a man from the realm of the free to the realm of the incarcerated. It has seemed to me that if you took a snapshot of the men in the yard and could erase the backdrop of the prison, you could easily drop them into a park or a ball field or downtown and they would fit. I'm sure there may be a demoniac or two among them, but for the most part they look just like you and me. Fascinating and perplexing at the same time. Entering the work area through a series of sally ports takes you past the inmate processing station. As we passed by this area yesterday I noticed about a dozen duffel bags and some other items. I asked my escort if they were coming or going. His answer was a simple, "Going." That's when my emotions went into a sort of frenzy. It's hard to describe but it was sort of like goose bumps and panic and joy and, and, and... I was at once happy for them and very concerned. When they walked through that gate they would breathe the same air, but now it would be as free men. But where would they go? Would they go home to their families? Did they even still have families? Would they go to a bar and start the tragic cycle all over? Would they go to church? Did they pray to Jesus while incarcerated for freedom? Would they make good on the promises they made Him? Mostly what I felt was a sense of helplessness. I didn't know any of them, yet I wanted to help all of them. I wanted to point them in the direction of the cross of Calvary. To a Savior who could make them truly free. I wanted to help integrate them back into society, to be there to answer their questions and encourage them when the inevitable struggles appear. I wanted them to make the right decision, and yes, I feel that a life in Christ is the right decision. I simply prayed that somehow one or more of them might appear at our church and say that Jesus directed them here so they could make good on their end of the bargain. And so I sit here at my keyboard trying to convince us that they are worth the effort. We've all made mistakes. We've all come short of the glory of God. At this moment I refuse to assign degrees. I'm not going to categorize them into murderers here and drug addicts there. No, for right now I want us to see them as Jesus sees them. Souls needing His saving grace. Men needing a new life. Washing the old life away in baptism in His name, and starting a new life filled with His precious Spirit. You know, that Acts 2:38 thing that is so pivotal to a true life in Jesus! I can only wonder. Which way will they go?

Lost, But Not Really

I recently taught a lesson on being lost. Not lost as pertaining to salvation, but lost as in lacking a sense of direction. There are myriad areas in which to question ourselves. Many times we question our self-worth. We question our abilities as husbands, fathers, parents. We wonder if we're doing all that God would have us do. We ask ourselves if we are selfish. Sometimes we don't like the answer. Sometimes we don't do anything about that answer either! We sit and ponder if our current predicament is self-generated even though often times it's simply God's way of helping us develop trust in Him. How many times have we asked ourselves, "Am I in the right place?" I am reasonably convinced that most of our questions are based on selfish motivations and not on God's will. We want this or that. We want it now. It owns us and not the other way around. We become slaves to the "trappings" of life. We need to slow down, or even stop, and let God truly direct our lives. When we hear His voice, we must then obey. If we don't hear His voice we still have His word, an incredible guide in and of itself, and we must obey it. When I was a child, around 8-10 years old, we had a family reunion in honor of my great-grandmother, Sarah Roberts. It was held in a forest preserve south of Chicago. If you are not familiar with forest preserves, they are areas of forested land set aside by the government to hold back encroachment and allow some wildlife habitat near populated areas. Anyway, during this event my brother David, our cousin Tommy, and I went for a walk. Before long we were lost. Didn't have a clue as to where we were. We couldn't hear a familiar sound. In fact, I don't think we heard any sounds. We probably thought we saw a bear as well, even though the only bears around that area play for the NFL! As we tried to collect our thoughts we became even more certain of our quandary - we didn't know where we were. Then came a moment of clarity. Hey, this forest is bounded on 4 sides by roads, and the forest is only about one mile square. We knew if we walked in the same direction we would eventually arrive at one of the bordering roads. As expected, it happened and shortly thereafter we were on our way back to the party. Amazingly, no one seemed to miss us! Here is my point. Even if you think you've lost your way remember that God has put a border around you. If you haven't crossed His boundaries you're not really lost. You may not know where you're at, but He does. "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take... (Job 23:8-10 ESV) Listen for His voice. If you can't hear it, stay in His book.