Lives corrected - is rehabilitation possible?

Is rehabilitation possible?  I believe so.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing several inspiring friends whose lives have been transformed.  Their commitment to Christ is humbling.  Among them, an unwed mom who gave up her newborn for adoption decades ago; they celebrated a mutually joyous reunion when he, in his thirties, sought to find her.  By that time her life had taken on a commitment to marriage and family, and she radiated a wise and tender spirituality.

 Tucson sunset - as beautiful as a life corrected?

A newer friend spent 7 years on death row for a crime she didn’t commit.   Since her release she has devoted her hours and days tirelessly to helping women and children in her Englewood community rebuild their lives.

My newest friend did prison time too, for drug and alcohol abuse.  Her reaching out to God came during a period of escape, when God told her to turn herself in so he could use her without her having to worry about getting caught.  Her total commitment to God came, back in prison, as she finished her sentence.  She asked God, “How am I going to keep my sanity for the next 18 months?”  He said, “Write me a letter every day.” 

And she did (write daily letters - of gratitude mostly, and some petitions).  And she did (keep her sanity).  As a side note, she credits her love for Jesus for the fact that she suffered no withdrawal symptoms from the drug and alcohol abuse.  Since her release she's been co-pastor of a church that is dedicated to meeting the needs of a poor Chicago community.

Just as a glorious sunrise promises a fresh and brilliant day, so the bright colors of a declining sun close a day with gratitude.  

Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science) writes this thoughtful definition,  “A radiant sunset, beautiful as blessings when they take their flight, dilates and kindles into rest.  Thus will a life corrected illumine its own atmosphere with spiritual glow and understanding.”

Staying focused amid distractions

A couple of weeks ago I met a new friend, Jolinda Wade, who is not your typical served-time-in-prison former drug addict.  She turned her life around and is now co-Pastor of an active church that includes running a community soup kitchen.

In the prison segregation unit, for 18 months she wrote a daily letter of gratitude to God which, she said, kept her sane.  Her letters, now published in a book, Divine Grace behind the walls, show her acceptance of His unconditional love, her instant obedience to everything God asked her to share -- with inmates, guards and administration.

One thing that comes across is that life in segregation is free of distractions.  You're in one room 23 hours a day.  No laundry, no grocery shopping, no TV, no phone calls, no emails.  Just, if you so choose, you and God.  You pray and you listen and you do.  She startled herself by thanking God for segregation where she learned to give Him her every moment.

My goal too is to give my every moment, my every thought, to God to be purified.  But I have to ask myself, how well do I deal with distractions?  It takes great discipline of thought to say focused in a gratitude-prayer walk, not to become angry, annoyed, or disappointed. Sometimes it's a struggle.

Gratitude isn’t denial of the injustices all around, so much as commitment to recognizing the good, however small it may seem, as evidence of God present and active.  I can do better!

Thank you, Jolinda, for setting such a high standard.