The other day, a friend texted me and told me that they were praying for the ministry. It wasn’t WWE wrestler Kurt Angle, if that’s what you’re thinking. It was a different friend.
Kurt Angle and I don’t even text that much because he doesn’t have my number and we only met that one time at the Pittsburgh airport, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to use my remaining quarantine time trying to convince Kurt Angle into being my best friend.
My friend, who was not Kurt Angle, texted me this:
“We are praying that all is going well with your family and that the prison ministry is off to a great start in June. Have a blessed day!”
That was very sweet encouragement during a time when we are unsure if our prison dates are going to happen or not. I have appreciated all of the support and encouragement so far in 2020.
Unfortunately, we did receive news on Friday that our June 6th and June 20th visits were cancelled.
That is a tough pill to swallow and it is frustrating not being able to minister inside of prison. I’m equally sad and frustrated that our team is once again prevented from seeing one another and enjoying the high fives in the dugouts, the meals on the road, and the really good conversations and smack talk on our bus.
Before each prison visit we have an itinerary with times, places, and responsibilities for the day. I usually have a quote and Bible verse at the top of each itinerary. The quote that I had picked out for our June 6th itinerary was from the late Ravi Zacharias:
“There is no greater discovery than seeing God as the author of your destiny.”
The verse I had picked out for our itinerary was Psalm 115:3 (ESV):
Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Despite our inconvenience, disappointment, outrage, and our ability to log onto social media and scream at people online about JB Pritzker, Donald Trump, hand washing, home improvement stores, and haircuts, God is still in control and His gospel can’t be stopped. I appreciate the verse from Psalm 115. He does all that He pleases. That is reassuring to me as I sometimes panic and wonder what tomorrow will look like. I also appreciate the quote by Zacharias. God is the author of our destiny and The Saints Prison Ministry. He is good even when it seems like everything around us is not working out. Saying that God is in control is sometimes rhetorical but knowing this and hearing this has been a good reminder for me.
Thank you again for the encouragement during this time. I would encourage you to pray for our team and for the inmates that we will see at some point this season.
I’m looking forward to providing another update to my supporters and Kurt Angle when we get more information!
Thanks,
Gib
