This time last year I got to experience something I never thought I would experience. I found myself on the way to a prison in Jessup, Georgia to go see someone. Never in my life would I have thought I would be going to visit someone in prison. Even more shocking, I never thought I would be going to a prison to visit the person I was visiting. The person I was going to see use to be a preacher in Atlanta. This is a person I would never dream to be placed behind bars, never.
I am saying all this because people think Christians should be perfect people. Truth be told, none of us are perfect. We all give into desires of our flesh sometimes. After all, we are human. It doesn’t matter if you are a preacher or a school teacher. It doesn’t matter if you are black or white. We all make mistakes and we have all sinned, but that is what mercy is for. The only thing that is perfect about us, is God’s love for us. God’s love, grace, and mercy is no different for me than it is for the people inside that prison.
It was very humbling for me to be there. While waiting in the visitation room I couldn’t help but watch people interacting with their loved ones or friends. Prisoners were clinging on to the hands of their wives or children. Kids were running up to hug their fathers as they walked into the room. I looked around and seen one guy holding his daughter while she slept in his arms. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and I was wondering if in that moment he was regretting whatever he did to end up in prison.
However, as I looked around I noticed all the love that the wives and children had for these men. Their love for these men didn’t change because they were behind bars, if anything it seemed to be stronger. Then the realization hit me. That is the way Gods love is for us. He doesn’t stop loving us if we are behind bars. I think His love becomes stronger when we falter. He knows we are not perfect, and He knows our darkest hour is when we need love above anything else.
In life we sometimes do things and think there is no way God will forgive us or possibly still love us. We let our sins become our baggage. Our own lack of self un-forgiveness weighs us down. The mentality of being a disappointment takes root in us. We don’t think we are worthy of His love and His grace. We let the enemy take over our thinking while God is holding on tight.
God’s love covers all sins and I seen his love in that prison. Like the wives and children of those prisoners who were loving them during their darkness, God was right there with them loving them too. God was right there holding them. God was clinging on to them. God never stopped loving them and He never will. He doesn’t see their sin. He doesn’t see their flaws. He sees what their wives and children see, He sees their hearts.
When you think there is no way God can love you, think again. When you think you are lost and too far gone for God, He is standing right there beside you. When you think you are too broken for Him to love you, know that broken people are his most loved. He loves those prisoners. He loves all of us sinners. He LOVES YOU.
