Tuesday, February 11, 2020 -
For anyone in prison, not just me, we always enjoy receiving encouraging letters. One I received yesterday from a friend was especially encouraging. He is a brother that was part of our church fellowship, who, with his wife, took vacation time to be at my trial for Kathie and me, especially when we needed as much support as was possible to get. And if I’m not mistaken, this is the first letter I’ve received from him, although his wife told me months ago in another letter how the things I’ve written about my time here in prison have inspired her to reach out to her own neighbors, for which she asked for prayer.
Her husband now wrote, “Over the last year, God has shown me a lot of opportunities to be a witness in my workplace. I have been very introverted and tended to not interact much with coworkers beyond work responsibilities, but that changed quite a bit this past year.
“Through reading, prayer, and a couple of individuals, God really challenged me about that. In particular, a young woman who started working at our company this year began to befriend many of my younger coworkers and discovered many of them looking up to me. She challenged me to begin using that influence to minister into their lives and find opportunities to share Christ with them. This was a big step out of my comfort zone, but I have begun to regularly go out for coffee with these younger coworkers one-on-one and talk about where they are in their lives and what God wants for them…
“We continue to be inspired by the reports of how God is using you in prison. I did not mention it earlier in this letter, but hearing these reports has also been a significant factor in my own growth in reaching out to others in the place where God has me. Thank you for your faithfulness!”
What words of encouragement for me. It confirms that all is not for naught. No matter the circumstances, I know I must remain faithful. And in the end, God will use it for His glory, alone! Praise be His blessed name!