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After the Bible class had ended, I began gathering up my things to leave when the prison’s chaplain came out of his office. He motioned me over and asked in a hushed voice, “Would you be willing to talk to the inmate in my office? He just found out that his mother passed away and he’s asking to speak with a pastor.” “Sure,” I responded, and followed him back into his office.
The inmate sat hunched over in a chair with his face buried in his hands. “Andrae, this is Pastor Radsek,” the chaplain said and then stepped back out of the room. When I took the chair in front of him, Andrae looked up at me. Immediately, I recognized the pain of grief, sorrow, and loss that was unmistakably etched upon his face. As I held his gaze, I once again recalled the words of Paul, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our trouble, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 EHV).
These words of St. Paul really hit home for me when my daughter died over a decade earlier. As the LORD walked with me through that “valley of the shadow of death” where grief and loss overwhelmed my soul, His Word and His promises sustained me. They held together the shattered pieces of my life as I grieved the loss of my daughter. As time passed, Paul’s words began to take on new meaning for me, and I realized that the LORD wasn’t just comforting me, He was equipping me to share His comfort with other grief-stricken souls. More to the point, the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” was equipping me to share His comfort with hurting souls like Andrae.
“Hello Andrae,” I said, while taking in the mournful look upon his face. “I am so sorry for your loss.” Teary-eyed, he nodded his appreciation. Recalling the raw emotions of those early days following the death of my daughter, and the overwhelming desire to hold on to my memories of her, I continued. “Andrae, what’s your favorite memory of your mom?” As he pondered my question, a slight grin appeared at the corner of his mouth. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Andrae began sharing a treasured memory, “My mom was a practical joker….”
Sometimes, the opportunity to shine the light of Jesus’ love presents itself in rather unique ways. On this particular day, the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” brought me to a hurting soul so that I might share some of the very words and promises that He had used to comfort me.
Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry. Thank you for helping us shine the light of Jesus’ love upon hurting souls like Andrae who spend their days and nights behind walls.