Simon was wrestling with a Bible passage from class: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).

Twenty years ago, when I began serving as a chaplain for Institutional Ministries, I met a fellow Christian named Wayne, who was incarcerated at Waupun Correctional Institution.

Sharing the Word of God with the institutionalized can sometimes take us to unforeseen places, where traumatized souls suffer from old wounds that have never fully healed. Such was the journey I recently found myself embarking upon with some women at the county jail.

Like other emotions, joy is often evident in what someone says or does. And sometimes, you can actually see the joy in another person’s heart and soul

I’m so glad you asked! That means you admit I exist. I know you asked the question because you feel pain in your life.

The phone call was unexpected, asking if I could report to a location we don’t usually serve. A husband was lost to suicide. The wife, to whom I was sent, was deeply distressed by the news. In fact, she began to cry out, “No, no, it’s not true!” and she attacked the officer who informed her.