A New Beginning
Thursday night we entered the N-1 Unit in Marlin, TX for another class of Bridges To Life. Our search and pat down was very through. Nancy's knee replacement always goes off!!! We entered with a small team of God's Army to minister an exciting program that has decreased reentry into prison from 80% to 18%. It's an opportunity for our ladies to take responsibility for their offenses, change, repent, make restitution, and gain peace. Their time spent in prison needs to REHAB, not tear down more what is already broken.
We viewed several film clips of victims and their stories. Sitting there, we wondered how each lady felt. They were the offenders and to see the tears, hurt, and pain of the victims must have been hard.
Our final DVD was 45 min. story of a true experience on the men's Death Row and the miracle of salvation and impact one changed man can have. It was told by the son of the offender who was also a victim of his father.
We broke up in circles to review the homework and we found ourselves surrounded by white. The uniforms are stained, wrinkled, and misfit. Elastic waist bands in the pants and tops that don't match. These offenders are stripped of all the details we love on the outside. It's part of bringing them to the basics of life and hoping to gain their attention. We were well aware that they had put actions to their heart feelings and we had not, BUT we had held some of the same feelings they had. As God looked at our hearts, we think He saw a complete Circle of White, not just 20 and 3 in colored clothing. Had we ever hated, wished someone was not alive in our lives, wanted to stop the pain we felt, quit caring for those who depended on us???? Yes, yes we have, but by God's grace, we had not acted on those feelings and often turned from them. God's grace...…separated us from the offenders. Not because we had NEVER felt their anger or hatred, or depression, but somewhere, someone had led us into His grace and opened our hearts to better choices.
How many of those in the Circle of White were raped by their dads, raised in a drug infested home, sold into prostitution, or displaced by foster care and told they would never amount to anything. We will soon find out. Next week, they start sharing their testimonies and pouring out the pain, the anger, the hopelessness they live in. We are there to support, and turn them to another way, new choices, and a REAL relationship to Jesus Christ. This will be our part, to unlock those prison doors and set these captives free. Saved by the grace of God, but there go I. That is a very true statement. We pray that each lady in the Circle of White will be taking off those dirty uniforms of the offenders and slipping on the white robes of forgiveness and righteousness. Some have murdered, some have stolen, and others stopped pain by drugs and alcohol and injured someone else in the process.
It's hard to remove the filthy garment of offending and wear the robe of righteousness. Shame and guilt wrap around their memories. Family members walk away with unspeakable hurts, and society braces to protect themselves from their reentry into neighborhoods and churches. We are being asked to pour out of our own brokenness and failures what God will do for each in this circle. We cannot offer ourselves because we too are in such need of His grace. We offer Jesus and Him alone. The healer and lifter of our heads, the healer of broken hearts and lives. The one who makes beauty from ashes. I pray that at the end of the 14 weeks together, we will see in the Spirit, all ladies sitting in white robes of righteousness and the offenders white uniforms at His feet- forgiven and restored.
May we all leave our white uniforms of offense at His feet and wear with aw and wonder the white robes of righteousness our Father places over us as we accept Jesus into our hearts. May each lady reenter a new creation, free of her past, full of God's Word and walking obedient in His ways. Restore them Lord and also those they have offended. Pour sweet heavenly healing on all the hearts they have broken and on their hearts. Thank you Lord, we can sit in the Circle of White remembering we too are offenders before you and the gift of forgiveness and new beginnings you offer each of us.
