Happy Father’s Day to all of you amazing father’s! I love and miss you dad, and I hope you are having a wonderful day fishing =)
I suppose you could say that things could have started out on a better note this morning. My alarm went off early. Early early early. And to top it off, I could not find my cell phone, so as the AT&T theme song played over and over (and over again), my bunk buddies began to moan, groan, and rise from the dead (er, I mean rise from their sleep). I do have to give thanks to God for the wonderful showers provided for us here at Point Bonita. The water is hot and the shower curtain covers the entire opening to the stall. In Shining Light, we find these things rarely happen, especially together. As I was walking to the dining hall, I was told that our first service scheduled at San Quentin today was canceled. For the exact reason why, I do not know. It is a bummer, yes. I trust that God has our best interest in mind and He is keeping us safe here at Point Bonita. I pray that all of the issues at San Quentin are resolved before our second performance is scheduled to start today. If God wants us there, He will lead us with a steady hand.
Yesterday, Kelly led the group outside for a time of worship and devotions. We sat on logs in a large clearing overlooking the Golden Gate and sang praises to God as the sun warmed us. Then each of us found a quiet place and spoke to God. I am enjoying this year’s devotionals so much. It is going to take faith for me to live out the devotionals though, and truly take a step out on the water. It’s hard to leave the comfort and security of a boat. There are no seat belts, nothing stable to hold onto when you are walking out on the storms of life. Ah, but there is Jesus. I can just hear Him saying these words: “You can trust me. You know my character and my competence. You can safely place your destiny in my hand. Take courage. It’s me.” Mmm, that fills my heart with joy.
Ok, I know you have all been waiting to hear about San Quentin. I can just see all of you mothers at home, biting your nails, nervously awaiting the phone call from your son or daughter to let you know that we’re all ok. So, just in case you haven’t gotten that phone call yet, we’re all ok =) Our show was simply incredible. God knew that I was tired yesterday, and He reached down His hand and lifted me up, and held me there, and you know what? I’m pretty sure He also gave me a shot of adrenaline. I was on fire and committed to our performance. When I looked out at our audience, it was no longer a performance. It was a calling for those men to listen. It was a challenge for those men to think about their lives, their destinies. It was an invitation to a great and powerful and forgiving and graceful and loving God. The one who did not spare His son, but because of His great love for us, destined for Him to die a wretched death on the cross. As I peeked out at our audience before the show began, I felt absolute sorrow for them. Each and every one of them wore a blue shirt; at San Quentin, blue is the color of doom. It is the color they’ll be wearing for 25+ years. Yes, every man in our audience was serving a prison term of 25 years to life. My heart went out to these men. One man reminded me of my father; they were probably the same age. Another could have been my grandfather. There was pain and hurt and fear for the future in their eyes. I wanted nothing more than to draw them close to me and hug them. But of course, that is not allowed. These men are dangerous. They are smooth talkers. But in God’s eyes, there sins are no greater than mine. We are all going to hell unless we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no getting around it! God intended for it to be this way, and this way will be glorious for those who draw near to the Lord. Can I get a Hallelujah?!
This post is untitled for one reason alone. The Lord absolutely overwhelmed me yesterday. As man after man stood in the audience, thanking us for our compassion and ministry and sharing their stories with us, I held back tears wondering what I was going to call this post. There are few things that are more raw than a man who is serving a life sentence at San Quentin Prison sharing his heart with you. I can not begin to formulate a response to that. The Lord is at San Quentin. Not just when Shining Light Ministries comes troopin’ in to share His name, but because He lives and He loves His children!
As I sit here, some members sing worship along with Kelly as she plays her guitar in the dining hall. We are so blessed to have such talented musicians to lead us in worship. Thank you to our band and singers! You truly don’t get enough credit.
Thank you for reading. Please continue to pray for us! We love you all.