Karen woke with tears streaming down her face. Nearly every night, the body-wrenching sobs
of her son pierced her soul. It had been
three years since that night, yet she still felt Trevor’s tiny arms grasping
with all his might as the officer pulled him away from her. The guilt and shame were nothing compared to
feeling the devastation of her precious child.
Karen knew the blame was rightly placed on her. She had made foolish choices. She had known what was right and wrong, but
it did not seem that important until Trevor’s pain made it all real. Wiping the tears away, Karen picked up the Angel
Tree material the chaplain shared the day before. People willing to help her reach out in love
to the child she adored? A glimmer of
hope that she might be part of bringing good to her beloved baby propelled her
up before the prison bell.
Karen is a composite picture of the millions of parents in
prison today. In homes around the US, 1.7 million children know the pain of a mother or father living in
prison. Over half of the parents live in
excess of one hundred miles from their children and visits are rare if at
all. In reality, children do the same
hard time justice demands of parents.
The purposes of God are not imprisoned, though. His desires for the parents and children are
to give them a hope and a future. God,
indeed, owns the harvest of the pain and suffering every sin causes. As His servants, we are instructed in James
1:27 to visit orphans and widows in their distress. Prison Fellowship and Angel Tree Ministries
coordinate ministries that allow individuals and churches to obey that command
and work in this incredible harvest field.
Each year Angel Tree partners with thousands of churches to
reach out to hundreds of thousands of children
of inmates . To a child at Christmas, a gift is much more
than just a gift. It is the tangible
essence of that gift we celebrate: love. Christ left the glories of heaven to bring
His love to a sinful, lost world. Prison
Fellowship uses the Angel Tree ministry to bring that love into the lives of
incarcerated parents and children. The Christmas
gift is a tool that leads to
restored relationships. It is part of a
ministry that involves mentoring and discipleship throughout the year. Won’t you consider how you can share the
gifts God has lavished on you with those who need to know His amazing plans and
purposes?
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