I walked into church this morning, and I walked into a wedding.
Not your typical, white lace and fresh flowers wedding, a different wedding, a wedding of hope and freedom.
The groom, Garry, completed four years in juvy and twenty-three years and nine months in prison, and during that time, words spoken by a guitar playing man in a prison chapel floated around his head.
“You can be free, right where you are.”
God planned freedom for Garry, a trapped man who didn’t do God.
Later, a crumpled piece of paper containing the name of a church in Florida found its way outside of Garry’s cell, and Garry wrote to this unknown church. Two weeks later a guard told Garry he had a visitor.
“But I don’t get visitors.”
“It’s your pastor.”
“But I don’t have a pastor.”
A Florida pastor received Garry's letter. The pastor’s church didn’t have a prison ministry. His congregation didn’t visit inmates, and yet, the pastor found himself visiting.
And freedom came a little closer for Garry.
Later, when Garry was released from prison, he met Maria, a woman with her own kind of prisons, and they formed a relationship.
However, jobs proved tough to obtain and new beginnings nonexsistent, and these two, free people remained trapped, but in a different kind of way.
Then, after a broken-down car, an internet search, and seventeen states, Garry and Maria found themselves holding hands in a North Carolina church while being married. Hundreds of well-wishers lined the seats in front of them, and I wondered if Garry and Maria thought this just might be their new beginning.
Our pastor reminded us of the prisons we all face. Yep, you and me included.
Addictions and secrets and hurts and burdens. We may not be trapped behind bars or living in broken-down cars but under the weight of our Sunday best we carry our troubles just the same.
What about you? What kinds of prisons have you broken through? Doubt? Worry? Perfectionism? Anger? Are there self-created cells you still struggle with?
*Based on a sermon and the wedding (of course!) of Garry and Maria at my rocking church. Garry and Maria, Thanks for sharing your story with us so we can learn more about Him.
: :
Linking with Michelle at Graceful for Hear It On Sunday. Use It On Monday.
Also, linking with Jen and the girls over at Finding Heaven.
Our pastor reminded us of the prisons we all face. Yep, you and me included.
Addictions and secrets and hurts and burdens. We may not be trapped behind bars or living in broken-down cars but under the weight of our Sunday best we carry our troubles just the same.
What about you? What kinds of prisons have you broken through? Doubt? Worry? Perfectionism? Anger? Are there self-created cells you still struggle with?
*Based on a sermon and the wedding (of course!) of Garry and Maria at my rocking church. Garry and Maria, Thanks for sharing your story with us so we can learn more about Him.
: :
Linking with Michelle at Graceful for Hear It On Sunday. Use It On Monday.
Also, linking with Jen and the girls over at Finding Heaven.
43 comments:
My dad and his wife invest many hours in jail ministry every week. It is a hard place to be, but God is using them.
I always liked the title of John Ortberg's book ~ "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat."
When our daughter was in highschool, the youth pastor built a boat for the youth room and each week students would pin pieces of paper to it, with notes of ways they had trusted God that week. Cool visual.
Fondly,
Glenda
How neat, Amy - the Sunday morning wedding and the pastor's sermon!
We all have our own cells, don't we? Thanks for a story of hope.
Glenda,
What a visual. I need to put that boat outside my front door...maybe it would help with trusting more.
Laura,
Yes, yes, we do. But I didn't even answer my own question. My cells? Perfectionism for sure. Control is another biggie.
I have loved reading your blog post and Renee's about this morning. Absolutely awesome, and what a great reminder of Christ's love!
i love this story! and my own cells? sigh. several. i'll choose pride as the top one of the day.
I'm so happy for these two. Testimonies like this are so encouraging. Thanks for sharing it here.
Such an amazing example of where faith can take you.
Powerful and inspiring story Amy. Thanks for telling it and sharing the Youtube link.
Amy, it's a great post. Very inspiring and motivating. My cells? Perfectionism and inferiority complex...how to break through these prisons? Anyone?
what a beautiful story of hope and freedom. . . like others, the cells often feel too many to count. i'll pick lack of trust as my cell of the day.
steph
Amy,
just watched the video of his story. and i'm sitting here bawling! that's amazing. and bless that little old man that answered the letter and went to the prison to talk to Garry even though no one in his church ever had! what a testimony that we are to GO when God says "GO!" and the look in Garry's eyes--pure joy. thanks so much for sharing that with us.
steph
Wow ... thanks for sharing this Amy - amazing!!!
Love this story, Amy. And not that it's just a story but real people with lives changed that only God could have done. What a testimony these two have. Glad you shared it! :)
Why am I continually surprised by this simple truth I thought I learned as a child--God really does change lives. Thank you for this beautiful story. My cell? When Jesus says do not be a slave again to fear, I'm pretty sure He's talking to me.
Amy, what a wonderful story of God's love and grace. So uplifting! Thank you for sharing it with us so beautifully!
Amy, what a wonderful story of God's love and grace. So uplifting! Thank you for sharing it with us so beautifully!
Steph,
Ohhhh, I was hoping someone would click over to the video. It's long, but wow, what a story, huh? Plus, Garry tells it so much better than I do.
Sophyta,
Perfectionism is one I battle with daily. For me, it's been freeing to make some mistakes. That way I could see it's not the end of the world.
Wow. What a story. I so love it when people learn to earn their own stories and help others along the way who may have dealt with similar issues or who just need to see the presence of God alive and active in order to reaffirm what it is that they believe. Very cool! Love your little blog space as well! New follower. :)
What a truly awesome story, one I won't forget anytime soon. So glad you shared...
Just watched the video about Gary, fabulous! Very wonderful man, made by the Lord.
hey friend! first off, i'm jealous jen got to actually meet you at She Speaks. was it fun? how did your meetings go? i've been dieing to hear (forgive me if you already wrote about it - i've been out of blog-mode for a few weeks).
secondly, thanks for stopping by today. interested to hear what God is speaking to with the Peter/water story. let me know.
last but not least, WOW, what a story and what a post. what a cool church! one of my cells? lately i've been thinking a lot about self-deprecation. i think this might be one i need to look at. it's false pride masquerading as false humility, i think.
This was beautiful. We recently had a guy let out of prison and came to our church to do his community service. He soon because a Christian and married one of our girls. He is still dealing with self made cells but, like you brought out, so are we all. Thank you for this.
first off..hope school is off to an amazing start:)
and I have such a heart as your words that say under our sunday best we all carry our burdens...of for safe places to share..to be transaprent and what a beautiful story.
myriads of ways God uses our circumstances and choices to bring us to Him..
xo
Wow. I've been sequestered from the world for most of the summer, and I've missed reading your blog! Glad to be back, and loved hearing about your fun time at She Speaks with Jen. She BEAMED when she talked about meeting you in person. What a blessing.
Trying to fix a problem before it becomes a problem. In other words jumping the gun and not waiting on God to move. Big time problem!!! Thanks God He loves me anyway. Love the story : )
Wow. What an amazingly beautiful story of what freedom can look like... Congratulations to Garry and Maria! And I know I am dealing with my own self made cells... I so look forward to experiencing freedom from them as I walk with Him and He shows me what freedom truly is.
Amy I love reading your blog. What a beautiful story of grace and redemption. I love that our redeemer lives. Blessings on your week!
Well that's remarkable! I've been praying for, loving on and scratching my head over an alcoholic young woman for a while. I can see her prison bars and I keep handing the her the key. Some days she refuses the key, other days she puts it in the lock, once in a while the cell door stands open. Unfortunately the security of her jail cell beckons and the door slams shut again, and I pick up the key and start over. Thanks for sharing hope and truth. I needed it.
What a beautiful story and picture of God's grace and forgiveness. I am still breaking through and breaking free in many areas...choosing to embrace His plan of redemption...choosing to accept His grace. Love reading your posts, friend :)
Walls? Did we room together or something?
How often have I self-protected? How often have I hidden behind walls (like even this weekend)? So wanting for Jesus to be my protector so that I am no longer trapped.
What a video!! What a testimony! I was crying watching it, but when he asked them to "cut" it because of his emotions, it made me cry even more. My word...how can anyone doubt the goodness of God??!!! Praise God for second and third and fourth chances!
Oh Amy...as I listened to Garry's words, saw the light in his eyes, how he was overcome as he spoke of the little old pastor and the note...my own tears well and spill...thank you for sharing his story with us.
Fear...fear of failure, fear of not measuring up, fear of what others will think, fear of fear!
Thank God, He handed me keys of grace and opened wide the doors of my heart. I still fight fear...but the grip is loosening as I exchange fear for faith-infused grace~
Rejoicing in a God that still performs miracles...in Garry in Maria...in you and me. Thank you, Jesus!
And thank you, Amy-
~Stacy
Wow, this is so challenging and so beautifully written. Thank you!
What encouraging words. Redemption, freedom, love...
all that our Lord Is and offers.
Thank you for sharing!
Awesome post, Amy -- I love the way you tell this story. I'm going to click over to hear Garry tell it, too. Thanks for linking up this gift...
Amy, this is just affirmation of He who is truly and always in control. Amazing! I clicked over to the utube clip, but it said it was removed by user.
What a great story-I love stories like this. A beautiful redemption. My prison that I'm working on getting out? The prison of worry and fear.
This is a beautiful story of redemption. How God truly can redeem us when the "real" world turns its back.
It made me your newest follower!
Wow, powerful story! I would have loved to have heard their testimony!
Girl, I have been a prisoner of fear in my life, so I understand slavery. God set me free! Now -- my weight seems to be one of the final things to surrender.
Bless you!
Beth
I am so many kinds of In Love with this post. I am covered in goose bumps. Freedom. Grace. Redemption. That's the whole story. It's all we need.
SO happy I sat by you last month! :)
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