I have this friend who I have known for around 4 years.
Before he was my friend, he was an employee.
He came into my office one day looking for work. Very blunt and very raw.
He said, "I'm a convicted felon, and I need a job".
Do I offer this guy an opportunity? What would he do with a second chance to get his life on track? Could I offer this guy a different ending to his story?
Hanging next to Jesus on the cross was a convicted felon. I'm sure most of the people walking past him thought that he was worthless.
Jesus thought differently though, and gave the man's story a different ending.
He was one of the best hires I have ever made, and through his employment I got to pour into him and help him figure out life.
He would call after hours with questions or concerns and it was the after hours conversations where I was able to share the Gospel with Him.
I was able to give him advice and give him scriptures to look up to help him on his way.
About a year ago though, trouble found him once again. We parted ways from a business standpoint and he was now living in prison.
My thoughts were: I really wanted to give him a different ending to his story and now this.
I received a letter from him though shortly after he went in, and it made a grown man cry.
It was one of the most beautiful letters I had ever received. I keep it in my nightstand.
The best line of the letter was, "Can you send me a Bible?"
I visited, we continued to write back and forth, and I even received calls over the months to come. He is out now. Again.
But something is different this time. He knows who Jesus is.
He comes to church now every Sunday. Sometimes to the main campus, sometimes to ours, where he helps tear down after service is over.
He still reads the Bible I gave to him, and he still has questions. He is helping others now that were once in his position and he is doing it with love and grace.
I am going to baptize him soon.
He has a new ending to his story. It is still being written but the ending is amazing and it goes like this:
He dies, and now stands face to face with his Creator, and Jesus smiles and says, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
Maybe you have been trying to reach someone and you've had setbacks, or maybe it seems like no matter what you do, you can't get through to them.
Don't write 'em off.
They are gonna need help writing the end of their story.
And it's a beautiful thing to be able to help hold the pencil.
