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Tracy has been locked in a one-man cell in the infirmary of a Georgia prison for nearly five years. He is dealing with a lingering infection from a back surgery that he underwent years earlier during his incarceration.
During his time in the infirmary, he battled depression to the point where he
began saving up his morphine tablets with plans to intentionally overdose. But
while contemplating suicide, he felt compelled to cry out to God. In the midst of
his pain, guilt and shame, he struggled to form words.
Tracy began reading the Bible. His cell started getting flooded by hope-filled
letters from volunteer mentors with Crossroads Prison Ministries. In the process,
his one-man cell—what was meant to be an instrument of punishment and
pain—was transformed into something of a wonderful refuge.
"The letters I received and scripture kept me hanging on," he said. Tracy's
spiritual transformation was underway.
Tracy says this is how he loves his neighbors. It's how he shares the love that
he received from God with others in a tangible way.
"I don't get to socialize a lot from my cell so I draw pictures of the things of God
with scripture in them and pass them out," Tracy relates.
His prison facility doesn't have church services, so his "church" has become
completing Crossroads Bible lessons and exchanging letters with his mentor.
by Aaron Mueller
Courtesy of Crossroad Bible Institute
"Never having a mother, father or a stable home, it's always been hard to
believe unconditional love exists," Tracy acknowledges. "Even though I don't
know the person sending me these letters, I can feel the love of God through
them."
As Tracy encountered the love and mercy of God, he felt compelled to share it
with others. So he began drawing pictures depicting the beauty of God's creation that he could only imagine from inside his dank cell. He gives these pieces of art to other men in the infirmary.
"God, I don't even know how to start but I'm tired of being alone and living in
pain," he prayed.
Read More ...
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 8)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 7)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 6)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 5)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 4)
The Lord is My Shepherd (Part 3)
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