Anyone who has worked in a prison ministry has dealt with plenty of men and women incarcerated while living behind steel bars. Laws have been broken and you have been found guilty. There is no freedom. Prisoners are told when to wake up, when to eat, when to bathe, when to go to sleep, and, on good days, when to exercise. We work in prison ministry on a daily basis, so I thought a lot about living behind bars this past week. It reminded me of a time when I felt like I was in prison with unseen bars.
Many of you already know our story. After a serious accident resulting in the death of a young man, we filed bankruptcy. We moved into a small apartment to help make ends meet. I worked a fulltime job, night job, and worked weekends whenever I could. I was stretched, tired, and angry … so very angry … at everyone and everything. I would cry out to God, “why, Lord … why me?” I was in a prison … without bars.
It took time for my husband and I to piece our lives back together. It wasn’t easy. It took family and friends loving us, listening to us. There was a tsunami of prayer being lifted up on our behalf. Then, gradually, my “prison” became a “sanctuary” where I no longer looked at the world, but grew into a closer, abiding relationship with my Lord and Savior. As my relationship with Jesus improved, my relationships on this earth improved.
