Changed

Changed

All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, I have been writing letters to women who are incarcerated. I joined a nonprofit organization that sends out names and addresses of women all over the country who I can correspond with. Some women reply, but many do not. I’ve made connections with several women whom I have gotten to know quite well.

We write back and forth about everything from our extended families to the children we have, professions we’ve held, and hopes and dreams for the future. Many have the same struggles and joys that we all do. Several are grateful for all that God’s saved them from, while others wonder how God could love them. I often send them Scriptures based on the truth of who I believe God is and what he says about them. They in turn send me prayers for my kids and encouragement for things in my own life.

I’ve sometimes been asked if I know what the women are in prison for, and most often I do not. Sometimes the women tell me, and other times they don’t. Although it’s public information, I don’t go searching to find out. I care only that they know God’s love for them.

One common theme that comes through our conversations is how their lives have changed since entering prison and how they hope to do and be different when they leave. They want to be changed. And that I fully understand: I want to be changed too.

Most of us will not go to prison in our lives, but we can all live with regrets over decisions we’ve made, relationships we wish would’ve turned out differently, or life circumstances we’d hoped would’ve had a different outcome. The good news is that no matter what we’ve done, God is always in the process of making us more and more like him. We are all being changed into his glorious image.

Lord, thank you for loving me and constantly being in the process of changing me into your image. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Ponder how God has changed you over the years, and thank him for the work he is continuing to do in your life.