Yesterday I had some interesting visitors. The daughters of legendary singer Ray Charles and their husbands came by my house for a visit. The resemblance of these ladies to their famous father was quite evident and certainly they were endowed with his musical ability.
They were in Greenville to film a television special about their famous father who was born and raised here during his childhood. They told me that several different people from around the state had told them that I lived in this area and they needed to meet me and learn more about my ministry, and so they stopped by.
Sheila Raye, Ray Charles’ oldest daughter had led a tough life. She was raised by her mother in Ohio and didn’t even meet her famous father until she was a teenager. Her early life was not good; she was sexually molested for years and eventually escaped as a runaway, and when she hit those mean streets at the tender age of 16 she turned to drugs as an escape.
Eventually she ended up in LA and met her father and recorded some songs under his supervision, but in spite of her tremendous musical ability and strong voice, she could not get it going bigtime as her father had done. After a while Ray Charles hit the road without her and over the next decade she slammed drugs hard and became addicted to crack cocaine. She eventually ended up in prison where she served six and a half years. It was there that she met Jesus and her life changed forever.
Today she is clean and sober and travels the world singing and ministering to those who need Jesus. Her ministry specializes primarily to prisons and drug rehab facilities. She is joined by her husband (who did 11 ½ years in prison himself).
I often run into people who look down on people who have made huge mistakes and even done time in prison. We talked about that and I remarked that people like us who have been forgiven much, often seem to love the Lord more. There is a parable in the Bible that illustrates this phenomenon whereby Jesus addresses this issue with Simon Peter. He used an example of two men that were forgiven debts. One had owed 500 denaris the other just two. Jesus asked him which of the men he thought was the most appreciative. Of course the man who had been forgiven much was the answer.
Some of the most ardent followers of Jesus in the world have been forgiven much and it has been so from the beginning, including the great evangelist the Apostle Paul. (Remember that the next time you encounter someone who has a checkered past.)
I have a grand piano in the foyer of my home and one of the husbands kept talking about it, so I asked him if he’d like to play it. I didn’t have to ask twice, and he took off for that piano like a lab happily splashing through the water after a duck in a pond. As he started playing, we all gathered around and he began belting out that epic Ray Charles song “Georgia”. Just then the girls began singing it.
It was awesome. Then the eldest daughter, Sheila, said let’s play some gospel music for Bob and they all joined in singing Amazing Grace. Oh boy, now that one hit a nerve I tell you. They all had big smiles on their faces and the music was as good as it gets this side of heaven. So after a couple more songs they left and new friendships were made that will last forever.
I had given them all a copy of my book and I got a text about an hour later and Sheila had already begun reading it. I’d asked her to come join us at our next prison ministry event and she said she would see me then.
God is amazing.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
March 1, 2016 – Click here to listen