God Provided Special Treasures

About a week ago, some group donated three boxes of  used Bibles to our jail.  It was quite a collection--all different versions, some dating from the early 1900's and some fairly new and never used.  Whoever brought them in, we thank you...for contained in those boxes were some special treasures.

First came the two little matching girl's Bibles with the shoulder straps.  Still in the boxes, never used, perfect in pink with little snapped lids were these two.  The only flaw--a name had been engraved on the cover.

Well, a certain inmate, new to the Lord, named Frank, was sitting in Sue's office when Larry walked in to show off these cute little prizes.  Frank had been sitting there, practically in tears, agonizing over the way he had failed his two little daughters, Katie and Mary, ages 3 and 5.   As a Christian, he now knew that all the money he made selling marijuana could never compare to the time spent with his children....that now must wait for some years while he sits in prison.  Sue said, "Frank, let's send the Bibles home to your little girls.  Here fill out the front page...this is something GOOD you can do for the girls.  We'll mail them right out for you!"

God had provided a little sign to Frank that he could still be a loving daddy to his girls.

Now there was another little girl's Bible, a powder blue Precious Moments  with the name Julie engraved on the front. Sue was going off  to do a Bible study with the ladies right after talking with Frank and she decided to see if anyone had a little girl that we could send it to. 

In walked the group, five regulars who had  no little girls, and two new ladies Susan had never met.  They sat down and Susan started saying that we had some neat handouts and helps to give everyone.  She handed out a beautiful prayer journal (donated by one of our lady volunteers)  to each girl who attended, along with notes for the lesson and a Bible reading record.   

Everyone was exclaiming happily over their gifts except for one sad-looking young woman.   Perhaps in her mid-twenties, this vacant-eyed young blonde couldn't quite understand what was going on....the terrible red marks and scabs all up and down her arms highlighting her heroin addiction and the reason for her bewilderment.   

Susan then said to the group, "Does anyone have a little girl, maybe seven years or younger?"  The sad young lady raised her hand shyly, slightly afraid.  "Well," said Susan, "I have a lovely little Precious Moments Bible for her--that is, if you don't mind the name engraved on the cover here--Julie."

The woman, wide-eyed, whispered, "My daughter's name is Julia and her birthday is January 28th." 

As we all clapped and laughed with joy, Susan said to her, "This is one of those moments where God looks right at you and says, I love you."

Please pray for Julie and her mommy, Kathy.  Kathy was taken away from our jail that very night and moved to a psychiatric facility.  Susan only got to see her that once and apart from Christ, Kathy's outlook is so very grim.  Pray that the Lord would continue to seek her heart and that despite the blur of medications and painful memories, Kathy would become His child...whole and perfect.

Pray that little Julie would receive in her Bible all the love she so desperately needs as God would speak to her through His Word.  May her guardians be Christians who would share His love with her.