In 1974, Chuck Colson, a former top aide to President Nixon, voluntarily pled guilty to obstruction of justice on a Watergate-related charge and served seven months in Alabama's Maxwell Prison.
In his best-selling memoir, Born Again, Chuck wrote, "I found myself increasingly drawn to the idea that God had put me in prison for a purpose and that I should do something for those I had left behind."
Colson emerged from prison with a new mission: mobilizing the Christian Church to minister to prisoners. He founded Prison Fellowship® in 1976, which has become the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform.*
Here is one of many beautiful stories from the ministry of Prison Fellowship (PF).
Chuck Colson was with his PF Ministry preaching to prisoners in Salem, OR. Kathy Troccoli, a singer who went with him, sang a special song, "My Life is in Your Hands."
After the service was over, one of the inmates came up to Kathy and said, "I really want to thank you for singing that song. It ministered to me so much." He went on to say, "My soul was dry."
"Why is that?' she asked.
"Well, I'm here in prison," he replied, "and I received a letter this week from my wife asking for a divorce. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. But now I realize that my life is in the hands of God, and somehow it will be okay. I really want to thank you for singing that song."
Five days later, Chuck Colson and Kathy Troccoli were in Chicago, IL – more than 1,000 miles away from Salem, OR. They were preaching and singing in a prison there, and Kathy sang the same song, "My Life is in Your Hands."
After, a woman who had never before been to a Prison Fellowship meeting came up to Kathy and said, "I really want to thank you for singing that song. My soul has been so dry."
Almost the same exact words!
Kathy asked her, "Why?"
She replied, "Well, my husband is in prison too, and I felt like I couldn't put up with it anymore. So I wrote him last week and asked for a divorce. But I'm not at peace about it."
Her husband was the man they had met back in Salem, OR.
Just a coincidence. Just a coincidence?
Kathy was able to minister to her, and God began healing their marriage and bringing them back together again.
It doesn't always happen like that. You don't always get instant answers to your prayers. It doesn't always work out the way we hope it will.
But here's the promise: No matter how difficult, no matter how tough life may be, no matter how disappointing things might get, God is still in control. (Copied)
No matter what the Coronavrius Quarantine has brought you – inconvenience, disruption, hardship or worse – God is in control!
He knows who you are and where you are.
He hasn't forgotten you, overlooked you nor has He abandoned you. He's not ignoring you nor is He playing hard to get.
Your life is in God's hands. He is doing things in the supernatural realm that you do not yet see in the physical realm.
He says to you (Jeremiah 33:3), "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
That is certainly what happened to Chuck Colson. Out of the nightmare of disgrace and prison came the beautiful ministry of Prison Fellowship that is changing lives for Jesus all around the world!
Do not live in worry or fear. God is for you (Psalm 56:9; Romans 8:31) and He will bring you through!
Mahalo and Aloha ke Akua!
(*The information in the first three paragraphs can be found at prisonfellowship.org.)