Let the fire burn

I occasionally correspond with a guy that I know who is in prison. He is serving a very long sentence for crimes related to his being a meth dealer. He was caught with a large quantity of meth and guns and they threw the book at him for being a dangerous distributer. He has since turned his life over to the Lord. Prior to beginning his sentence he spoke at several schools to try and warn the kids not to get into drugs by telling them what happened to him. Now that he is serving time he writes to various people and ministers to those in the penitentiary where he is serving time.

Now that he is saved and turned his life around, he is petitioning anyone who will listen in an effort to reduce his sentence and to get out early, purportedly in order that he might minister to kids and others and warn them of the dangers that they face in the drug world. Like anyone who has spent time in that world he has his share of horror stories and things that he has seen result from that lifestyle and could no doubt have some effect on teenagers etc. The cynics would say that he is just trying to con his way out of the pen and get a reduced sentence. Only God knows his heart; I too am leery at times concerning his sincerity, but I try to give him the benefit of the doubt. It is difficult for me to conjure any sympathy for a meth dealer; those who are big time distributers and leave a wake of death and destruction caused by their greed as they cruise along enjoying their money, coldly oblivious towards those lives that are being destroyed by their product.

Not long ago this guy wrote me and was really excited and told me that he was applying for a Presidential pardon and commutation of his sentence. He apparently was very encouraged because they had sent him a formal application. (Give me a break.) He filled it out and mentioned how his life was changed and all of the good deeds he had done since his conversion and even wrote a piece in there about how he had read about me and how I had turned my life around and become a model citizen and that is what he wanted to do.

I did not write him about it because I knew he did not have a prayer of getting it and I did not want to discourage him. The last thing someone in prison needs is more discouragement. I waited until after the inauguration and then wrote him back and told him that by now I was sure that he got the news that he was not going to get his sentence reduced by President Bush. I told him that similar to winning the lottery those kinds of things always happen to someone else. I had told him this before, but reiterated to him that the crimes and sins that he committed were grievous and that there is always consequence to sin. Those consequences must be paid. I went on to say that he should look at enduring them as God refining him under fire and preparing him for a mighty work that can begin in prison and blossom when he gets out. Sure he should explore every possibility no matter how remote and do everything possible with appeals, pleas to the governor or whatever, but in the end, he should just accept and understand that he is not in control. God is in control and His timetable will be the one that will be used. Serving a long sentence is a hard lesson and one that should not easily be forgotten. If he maintains his faith throughout it all, he can become a powerful minister of hope to those who are following or considering following his path.

I also told him that one day he would be very appreciative of this hard lesson and that indeed it has no doubt saved his life. (He was not only distributing that poison but was addicted to it in a big way too.) Alas it is easy to say to be patient and accept his punishment like a man when I am on the outside and he is locked up with dangerous men on the inside, but he did the crime and must now serve the time. I urged him to stay close to God and accept those things out of his immediate control.

I was thinking of this guy’s situation this morning and cannot note but how similar it is to so many others. If you are undergoing trials and tribulations or perhaps are having to endure a severe consequence of a sin that you committed, do what you can to resolve the situation, but for those things, for which you have no control, accept them and leave it up to God to work it out. Have faith. Look at it as God refining you under fire to accomplish His mighty purpose for your life. Don’t wilt under the burning sun, but stay strong, knowing that God is working in your life to shape you and form you into what He wants to accomplish through you; “His” purpose for your life. The Bible states that we develop patience from trials. The years will go by faster if my friend will accept the foregoing. He can fight it, and sit in his cell and stew about it, and rant and rave to anyone who will listen, but in the end he will be allowed out when it is time, just like a fine wine. Fortunately if he has indeed given his heart to Jesus and repented as he tells me, he has been forgiven of them by Jesus Christ and will be welcomed into heaven where there will be great rejoicing. That is not to say that he will not have to still pay the consequence of his folly while still in the flesh. Pray for him won’t you

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace.