“Don’t sacrifice the future on the altar of the immediate”. I will always remember Phil in his Youth Pastor days telling our group of teenagers these words. Hopefully they heard what he taught them and they are living this out today as adults, and even sharing this very important principle with others.
This is heavy on my heart today, as I write to one of three precious souls who made bad choices and now is serving time in prison. When hearing back from them in a letter written on a plain piece of paper scribbled the best they can with the inside of a ball point pen, because of the limits of being under control of a system that is watching tightly over them, I feel their pain. Sometimes when I correspond it is all I can do to hold back tears, thinking how they are feeling, waiting to get some news from the outside world. I know there has to be thoughts of regret from their actions that “Sacrificed the future on the altar of the immediate”.
My flesh wants to “kick in” and say, “what were you thinking?” But I don’t say that because I choose to love them unconditionally, realizing by the Grace of God it could be me on that side. As I write I think of how this letter is being valued more than most of the ones I write to others. Without limits, I can sit with my laptop in my lap and zip out an email and in minutes get a response because of cyberspace. And even Skype friends near by or in other countries, which amazes me. In this case, I carefully write out my words telling of the latest news and anything this person would want to hear to keep them up with society. Then I mail it knowing it will be read by someone before my friend is allowed to have it. I will wait patiently for a response that will have to go through the same system to get it back to me.
Doesn’t this make you think how much we have in this life of freedom? Makes me want to be more responsible. Knowing each day and each moment the choices we make will determine our future, so we must stop and think what is this going to cost me?
Today’s thoughts are a little heavy compared to some of my post. I was just feeling someone out there needed this and I wanted to give something you could put in your “Life Suitcase” to use as you travel through this life. And I put this out to ask you to pray for my three friends as they serve out their sentences. Let this soak in, it sure makes you appreciate your freedom each day so…. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT…
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