A WINK OF WISDOM

It may surprise some when you read at the bottom of my meditation where I am writing from. Let me assure you that God’s riches know no bounds. Perhaps it is in a prison that we need His knowledge and wisdom the most. Where there has been great suffering, there calls for great healing. No one has helped me understand this more than my grandfather, the Rev. James F. Anderson. His support has opened the doors of God’s love and eternal grace.

I have been incarcerated for six years now, and like a faithful clock, my grandfather’s letters arrive each week. Each week his words of encouragement and support shed new light on a dark place. How could I not wonder what he sees in a felon, an addict, and a criminal? What gives him the blessed assurance that I will succeed? It can only stem from his wisdom and knowledge of God. My grandfather does not judge; he simply sees me for who I am, his grandson struggling to find his way.

Growing up, we rarely spoke, as I was somewhat intimidated by his title and garb. God was a mystery to me much like life. The occasional wink from Grandpa would indicate he had the answers. Only now, 20 years later, can I say that he always did. His answer to my struggle was simple: Live for what is right, honest, and true. In that spirit, I will dedicate my new freedom to him, a true man of God, whose principles surpassed his judgments and showed me a new way to live my life.

— Adam Westbury
James River Correctional Center
State Farm, Va.

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist