Reminder of God's grace

I was at a prison this thurs and fri for my job. I have to go to a few of these a year and am always thankful that I get to leave. With this job I have to go into each building and am surrounded by the inmates. I do have an escort but no one is armed because they don't take chances that weapons could be taken and used on the officers. It can be a little nerve wrecking at times but I trusted the Lord would protect me.

What hits me though is the fact of all these people that live in this little world. A prison is like a small enclosed city and some will live their lives inside. As I walked around and saw the sadness and despair in people's eyes, I was hit with the reality of God's grace anew. (and to think of how much better conditions are and how much better people are treated in the U.S. prisons than that of other countries)

I am thankful for His grace in my life, for where I was born and grew up, for how He watched over me and helped me make decisions. I realize that what separates me from the people locked behind bars is often one bad decision. Sometimes it's the fact that most are just not caught and these people were. This won't be a long post, I just wanted to share how God makes his mercy and grace real to me.

If I would have made different choices and taken different actions at certain times or in certain situations, then I could be sitting behind bars also. Some may be innocent and in other countries lots of precious souls are locked up for faith in Jesus. God's heart is for all and He wants us to care about all.

Matt 25:36 "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."

May you find His grace new and fresh in your life and be thankful for it.

Roger