Jonathan is working as an intern in our development department and will graduate from Helping Up Mission’s Spiritual Recovery Program this spring. While enjoying success in his professional life, Jon struggled in his personal life and wound up in federal prison. That might be the end of the line for many, but it was just the beginning for Jon. That was where he met the LORD and life has not been the same since.
Recently Jon began reading Chuck Colson’s The Faith (Zondervan 2008) and was moved by what he read. So he did something he had never done before, he emailed a note to a comments address of the publisher. Jon shared that he was enjoying the book and offered a few thoughts on how he was attempting to practice in his life the kinds of things Colson discussed. Jon also noted that, like Colson, he became a believer in federal prison and that he was at Helping Up Mission.
He got an auto response from Zondervan saying they received his comments and would forward them to the author. Jon didn’t think anything more about it – until this week. Chuck Colson’s Executive Assistant called him at his desk in the development office. The publisher had not passed along Jon’s email address, just his comments, but the mention of Helping Up Mission helped the Assistant track him down. Colson had read what Jon wrote and dictated a respond and they wanted to email it to him.
Colson commented on their shared prison experiences and the importance of both being involved in Christian ministries committed to making a difference in our world. Jon felt like he had received an early Christmas present. He said it was also kind of cool that he could still write a sufficiently compelling email to elicit a response from someone as busy as Colson.
As we say around here: God is good, all the time – all the time, God is good! I don’t know what particular kind of message you are going to get from someone special this Christmas, but I do know God has some really cool stuff in store for you, too. You can either openly receive it or try to resist it, but He is there to do something very special in your life this holiday season.
Always and only, one day at a time.
Pastor Gary Byers
Spiritual Life Director