Thinking about our ministry and all the volunteers who answer inmate letters as a part of their devotion to Jesus Christ warms my heart. Most of our correspondence team consists of senior adults who share the good news that God loves them and has not forgotten them. They encourage incarcerated men and women out of their own experiences and share how trusting the Lord Jesus with all their hearts during their own hard circumstances helped them overcome.
This has been a challenging season as our nation has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Who would ever have believed our country would shut down because of a dangerous virus? I am grateful that our ministry is still able to go behind prison walls through this magazine and the devotions and correspondence we share with the inmates who write to us.
We all experience difficulties, no matter where we reside and regardless of our faith. I don’t know all the stories of our volunteer writers, but I do know that many have faced incredible tragedies and heartaches, things that have certainly challenged their faith.
One team member lost their adult married son who was struck by a drunk driver. One faced the passing of their four-year-old child from a brain tumor. One lost their spouse of 43 years to brain cancer.
Another lost her precious little boy and then attempted suicide in her grief. Thankfully, she was unsuccessful. God helped her through her pain, and she is now reaching many souls for the kingdom of God.
One faithful member has and continues to battle cancer. One has overcome abuse by her husband and sexual abuse as a child. One spends every day, praying for her sons and daughters who are serving our country in extremely hostile territories.
All these precious people have had to decide to trust God. These men and women have chosen to believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He can do. And they have seen the truth of Psalm 146:6, which says, “He keeps every promise forever” (NLT).
Like our team members, I’ve also faced trials. It is only through trusting that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is trustworthy that I am able to continue moving forward. Learning to trust Him is a process and a choice. Instead of focusing on my circumstances, I must meditate on God’s Word, His promises, and His truth. I allow them to invade my mind, to drive out fear and anxiety over the uncertainties of the situations I face. The river of His peace floods my soul, and I know that I know, in His time, everything will be okay.
My dear mother used to say those words to me when I was facing difficult situations. She’d tell me, as only a mother could, “Linda, everything is going to be okay.” And because of the Lord, it always was. Just like my mother did for me, I want to remind you that everything is going to be okay for you, too!
Regardless of the challenge—whether you’ve lost a loved one, have been emotionally or physically wounded, have found yourself financially broke, or are locked up and alone—it’s going to be okay! Don’t give up! Look up. Keep your eyes on Christ. Let Him infuse you with His strength.
Why? Because God can be trusted.
