My Life Was Prison, In Prison I Was Free

Part 8

"All my life I have wanted to minister to the ghetto youth. I have always yearned that one day in my lifetime someone from the hood will turn to Jesus and teach others about Him. I have wanted to show them that Christ changes lives. Listen my son, Jesus is the son of God. God is our ultimate being, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who created mankind and all the creatures in it. He is a trinity, God the father, the son and the holy spirit. God sent his only son that you and me may be saved."

"Priest, saved from what?"

"Good question. Saved from yourself and the patterns of this world. So that you may have inner peace, eternal joy and happiness and satisfaction. If you reflect about your past you will realize that it has not been as swift."

"I agree with you priest that my life has been crooked. I have done the worst. I was void of something. I was lacking. How do I get this filled?"

"Jesus is the answer. Think about it Tommy. Look around you, look at the poor souls that come to you daily with undying will. Look at the smiles that form on their faces. They don't have much, they have no wealth nor people who can really hold their hand and tell them it's okay but they have Jesus"

"How do I receive Him?"

"I will just pray with you."

I received Jesus that day. I was crying like a little kid. Tears of despondency and pain ran down my cheeks. I felt guilty, guilty to someone I have never seen or touched. Someone that was an illusion before. The feeling in my heart was overwhelming. I felt a heavy load of burden get lifted away. The priest handed me an old KJV Bible and told me to read it daily. I remember what was written on the front cover, 'David and Family; Bought on 3rd March 1937' On the second page was another text. It seemed recent and bold, 'Thank you God for I have completed my purpose.' I asked him why he wrote that and he told me to flip to the next page which read, 'Tommy, this is the first Bible I ever owned. I bought it as soon as my father, who was a slave, died and all the household responsibilities were left to me. I had to be bold to fend for my siblings and couldn't do this alone. I had to do it with Christ. This will not be a smooth journey but garner all the willpower and faith that you can and read this book everyday. For 87 years I have not had a family, no wife or kids but worked to liberate the kids from the ghetto but today after many years, after thinking that God has forsaken me, He has given me you. Son, read this book, it is every armor you need to go to war with.'