God Has Perfect Timing
Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 by
By Tim Butler, Director of City Engagement and Juvenile Justice Ministry Chaplain / Site Director
My normal half-hour commute to the detention center took more than an hour that afternoon due to a huge tanker fire on the highway, and I debated whether the drive was worth it. I knew that some of the 60+ residents would be either at “rec” or dinner by the time I got there, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When I entered “Pod A” (for guys who had drug-related charges) one teen was on the phone, a few were talking to the staff, and a couple were waiting for me at a table on the lower level. Soon after I sat down and introduced myself as the YFC Chaplain, two more guys joined us, and then the kid on the phone sat down too. After I passed out my business cards, I asked how I could pray for them and wrote each response in a journal that I keep. Here are their requests:
Adam: “Pray that God will keep me safe when I live on the streets.” When I asked him about his home situation, he said “There’s too much fighting at home, so I’d rather be homeless.”
Isaiah: “Pray that when I get out, I can stay out.”
James: “Pray that I can stay sober when I get out.”
Steven: “Pray that God will keep my dad safe while he’s in jail.”
When I turned to the last guy – the one who was on the phone – he (I’ll call him Collin) said he’d rather meet with me individually instead.
After I finished praying and sharing some scripture with the guys, Collin and I went up to the other level where it was quieter. As soon as we sat down, he said “When you came on the pod, I was on the phone with my dad and he told me he was praying that God would send someone to help me get my faith back on track. And then you walked on the unit!”
Collin and I spent the next hour talking about his life, his addiction to LSD, his broken relationship with his parents, but most importantly, his lack of faith and how much he wanted it back. After we spent time reading some of Mark’s gospel, I prayed for Collin and challenged him to read more of Christ’s story that night before he went to bed.
My conversation with Collin – and the timing of it – was no coincidence, and it showed him that God was still inviting him into a life-changing relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Pray for Collin and for so many other teens like him who still need to hear the good news of the Gospel!
Thank you for being a part of the ongoing conversation with youth just like Collin in our city and helping us share God’s story. It's our honor to be the storytellers on your behalf who meet kids right where they are and give life to their story.
Providing young people in our community with the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become part of a local church.