God story

 
 

I wanted to share my “God story” with you guys on Sunday but was not able to get to you in time. This is an amazing true story that took place last Thursday night.


I’ve been attending a Bible study that began in May of 2006 and Thursday was going to be my last attendance to any and all services here. You see, I had a plan for “revenge” that would take place Friday morning but . . . God intervened and my plan was over.


As you know, in August I was attacked by another inmate who used a padlock on a short rope for a weapon which, of course, left some really ugly scars on my head. I’ve been trying to forgive, but let’s face it, that’s often easier said than done. So I decided it was time for him to receive some long-lasting scars of his own. I did not consult with any of my Christian brothers because I knew they would try to talk me out of it. I didn’t want advice, I wanted revenge!

Greetings pastor Dan & Bonnie

Most of us will never taste the cruelty and brutal conflict that often blindsides our brothers behind prison walls, the choices that haunt them and the grace that won’t let go. A brother who’s down for what could easily play out as a life sentence shares his heart where the rubber meets the road.

Who could blame me?


I thought maybe I shouldn’t attend Thursday night, but when the call for the program came, I found myself feeling compelled to go—so I did. I normally help teach a group of gang members who’ve sat at my table for the last six to eight months, but they all switched to a different table which brought new faces to my table.


I’d seen two of them before but I really didn’t know them, and no one but God knew my plan for the next morning. So there we were, trying to decide what to study when someone suggested “retaliation” as a topic. We opened our Bibles to Matthew 5:38-48 and read, “You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I (Jesus) say to you . . .” (while my heart said, ‘uh, oh’)


The kid sitting next to me spoke up: “We’ve been praying for a guy. I don’t know who he is, but he got his head busted up with a padlock. How is God glorified by something like this?” A brother who’d been discipling him answered, “By this guy not retaliating.” My heart sank. A man sitting across the table spoke up. Six years ago he was in a different facility where another inmate “snookered” him with a weapon. After healing up some this man (we’ll call him Robert) sought revenge for himself and got it!


He took a shank and stabbed the man three times in the head, more in the back and ribs, collapsed a lung and well, let’s just say there was major blood loss, permanent brain damage and paralysis. Robert was given new “street charges” that came with restitution—paying all his victim’s hospital bills including emergency life support—not cheap! DOC began taking 90% of his monies, then 70%, then 50%. Now they’re holding at 40% of all monies. Rob calls it the most expensive act of revenge he’s ever taken. The worst of it wasn’t the monetary loss; it’s the remorse in his heart over the brain damage and paralysis he left the man with—something that never was part of his plan.


                                                                              (Dan, by now my own heart was melting.)


I looked at the young kid next to me and asked, “You really don’t know who the man is you guys are praying for, do you?” He said, “No.” I took off my hat and showed him my scars. “I’m that man.” His eyes opened wide as I continued by telling them, “I didn’t want to come to the Bible study tonight because I’m kind of feeling like a hypocrite. I’ve been plotting my own revenge for two weeks that was supposed to happen tomorrow morning! The man who attacked me was gonna pay severely for what he did. I didn’t plan to kill him, only to hurt him so bad he would never, ever forget me.” (Everyone’s jaws dropped.)


Is this just a coincidence?


  1. 1.All the gang members who normally sat at this table “happened” to switch tables tonight!


  1. 2.A young disciple who “happened” to be praying specifically for me didn’t go to the table he always went to!


  1. 3.Robert’s story “happened” to line up with my plans for tomorrow morning!


  1. 4.How’d we even pick the topic “retaliation?” Did it just “happen to happen?”


  1. 5.Matthew 5:38-48 has to be the clearest message from the Lord concerning this situation, and we “happened” to go there?


Consider for yourselves and decide; can all of this take place in one sitting and be “just” a coincidence, not to mention the timing? I’m not a baby Christian, nor do I consider myself a jailhouse Bible scholar, but I do know the Bible teaches and shows examples of divine appointments (i.e. people to meet each other by order of God) cf. Acts 8:26-39 = Philip and

the Ethiopian, Acts 9:10-19 = Saul and Ananias, Acts 10:1-8 Cornelius and Peter.


In light of my plan for revenge, the unexpected seating arrangements and testimony of Robert’s “been there, done that,” I don’t think I’m a crack pot for believing that I was indeed part of a divine appointment. Do you? (Please say no!!)


At this point, what could I do? How could I even think of carrying what I had purposed to completion? I couldn’t. God’s grace aborted my planned revenge right there on the spot, saving me from myself. Now God’s word arrests my heart:

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

                                                              Romans 12:17-21 NASB

Amen and amen!

your brother,

robert fry