In prison ministry it’s easy to focus our attention on the most hardened cases. When a lifelong criminal (like the subject of this week’s feature story) turns to Jesus, it’s a real cause for celebration! But it’s also a miracle when God intervenes to turn a young person away from a hopeless lifestyle. I was reminded of this when I received a letter from 16-year-old Josiah.* He says:
For me, the excitement brought on by doing what I was told not to do was a better high than what the drugs, alcohol, and other things did in themselves. … I smoked marijuana, snorted cocaine and heroin, popped pills, smoked tobacco, drank, and broke curfew. I broke into buildings, houses, and stores, and carried two knives, a gun, and brass knuckles. The worst part, I was only 14. I’m 16 now. I’ve been in[carcerated] 2 ½, going on 3 years. I was given many chances to behave, but I refused. … It wasn’t until recently that I finally accepted God’s help. I pray every day, with all my problems, and he gives me peace and helps me solve them. Because of him, I’m very close to getting back to the community. I used to be a delinquent, now I’m a child of our gracious Holy Father.
What a victory! Josiah can now spend his whole adult life sharing the love of his “gracious Holy Father.” Likewise, Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program equips churches to intervene in the lives of prisoners’ children – before they head down a road to destruction. Learn how your church can get involved today at www.angeltree.org.
*Because “Josiah” is a minor, a pseudonym has been used to protect his privacy.