It’s one thing to help someone who has fallen on hard times without having done anything wrong. But it’s much harder for me to understand how people can leave their comfort zones to help people who have brought the hard luck on themselves.
I received a letter from a woman named Marilyn Johnson that got me thinking about the amount of kindness it takes for a person to go into a jail or prison and talk with the inmates. I’m humbled by the way she followed her heart.
Here’s what Marilyn has to say about her experience:
“The story begins while I was listening to the news Oct. 27, 2004, reporting about the body of a man found on a road north of Park River, N.D. Monica Fox Moreno was arrested and charged with the shooting death of her husband, Greg.
I kept thinking about the story and about Monica. Finally, something moved me to go to the Grafton jail and see her. I didn’t tell anyone. I was scared. I had never been to a jail before. When I saw Monica, I introduced myself and told her I wasn’t there to ask any questions, I just wanted to know if she wanted me to pray with her. She said, ‘Yes, please,’ and we both began to cry.
I returned the next week and the next. Each week I would pray with her before I left. One day, the half-hour visit went by and the jailer came to tell us the time was up before we had been able to pray. I felt really badly on the way home – after all, prayer was all I could give her – no treats, no gifts, nothing.
The next visit, the first thing Monica said was, ‘Marilyn, we forgot to pray last time, so this time, let’s pray first so we don’t forget.’
While in Grafton, Monica was advised to plead guilty instead of going to trial.
I kept in touch with her even after she was transported to the women’s prison just south of Dickinson. She became an assistant to the chaplain, completed welding classes, and after nearly two years in jail was able to buy herself a plane ticket back to Texas.
Monica praises God and thanks him for all the protection and blessings he has bestowed on her. I thank him for using me to share the story of Christ’s love.”