It's Valentine’s Day and nobody here cares much about it. We are all acting tough and hardcore, but hurting from inside since we do not have our loved ones close by. Then suddenly someone yells excitedly, ‘It’s snowing! The snowflakes are huge!’ We all run to our cells and try to look at the snow through the little window that we are provided. It looks different than what it typically looks like. It looks New!
I’ve been incarcerated for couple of years now. Throughout this time, the view outside has always stayed unchanged – dull green and brown with razor wires (there might be other colors but I am color blind). When it rains it’s disheartening because I love rain, but I am unable to touch even a drop. Every now and then, I will see a few birds flying around and sometimes I envy them for the freedom they have. But today was entirely different. It’s snowing, and the snow is sticking to the ground. The ground that used to be dull green, brown and dry is now white and untarnished. The cells that were dark and dingy are now beaming with a glow because of the light that is reflecting the snow and entering the cells through the small window. After looking at the scenery for an hour, I barely remember what it used to look like before. The snow has even made the razor wires look decent. I wonder if that is how Jesus looks at us.
Before I was incarcerated, I was living in a prison of my own making. It was made up of hypocrisy, hurts, lies, hate, immorality, double mindedness, etc. Even though I appeared to be free, every bone in my body was chained. I had no purpose and all I wanted to do was hide. My life looked like a dull green-brown, dry prison ground. But then during my hardest time, SOMEONE put me back together.
But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer.
For he gets their attention through adversity.
Job 36:15
God uses our own suffering to rescue us and gets our attention toward Him. When I arrived at the penitentiary, God used that physical distress to liberate me from my spiritual misery. And for sure, I can say that being spiritually free while physically captive is much better than being spiritually enslaved while physically free. My Lord and my redeemer Jesus, met me at my lowest point and unshackled me through His blood. He renewed my heart and gave me a purpose. He gave me a Freedom that can never be taken. He took my past and made it white as snow. So now when He looks at me, My Father sees me as blameless, untarnished because of the work of my Savior on the Cross. He gave me a future that leads to Him. Jesus gave me Himself. Now when I look at my scars, it no longer reminds me of my pain and sufferings but instead it reminds me of the love and sacrifice of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
He made me White as Snow.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
