Behind Bars

“A few months ago I hit rock bottom. I was sure I couldn’t sink any lower as a human being. I ended up in jail, yes in jail. A shock. A moment that changed my life. Locked up with all my hatred and emotions against myself, I had reached the lowest point of my life.”

Actually, I had been invited to share my story with the women of a correctional facility and asked myself, "How can my story give hope to these women who have been through so much hardship and have big problems?"

Very quickly I realized that the question was not, "How big do you see your problem?" but rather, "How big do you see your God?"

I needed to keep this at the forefront of my mind because the women were not fascinated by my story. They were fascinated by a God who cares about us ordinary people, no matter what our prison currently looks like. No matter how guilty—or innocent—we may be in this situation, He came to set prisoners free. To set you free!

Yes, Jesus was sent to earth by God for this purpose. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free." (Luke 4:18 NIV)

God finds you wherever you are, even if you feel right now that no one is noticing how much you are suffering. God even managed to reach one of these young women "behind bars" by opening the doors there for me to share this FREEDOM.

No matter how imprisoned you are, you are loved by someone who cares about your freedom—and makes that freedom possible!

This is the message of this young woman: "I am sure God sent dear Déborah into my life to show me that I am of worth. She gave me back my faith. Just two days later I was released and I still believe today that it was faith that cleared my path!"

God will find you too, and make your way free again!

Yes, you shall be free!

You are a miracle!

Déborah

P.S. The texts of this reading come from the daily email A Miracle Every Day. If you would like to receive a daily encouragement,, I invite you to subscribe to A Miracle Every Day.