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Go to Prison or a Friend's Dinner Party

October of this particular year had five Saturdays in it. The fourth Saturday has always been the day I go with our church to a prison nearby to sing. Incredibly, October 22nd was the fourth Saturday and not realizing that, I had scheduled a dinner party at some friends' house.

This was a couple we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with and we had some new songs we had written that we wanted to share with them. As the day of the dinner party drew closer, I suddenly realized there was a conflict with the prison ministry with which I was involved. I truly LOVE the prison ministry, but I really wanted to go to my friend's party. What to do?

Go to God, of course. I prayerfully flipped a coin before Him, and asked God if I should go to the prison ministry. He said Yes, to my disappointment. I called to cancel with my friends, but he suggested we come over after the prison ministry (even though it would be very late).

Next, I had to choose which song or songs to sing. I had just written one that was very long (six minutes) but also very powerful. It was a forgiveness song. I wanted to do that one, but of course, what I want to do doesn't count. Did God want me to do that one? My wife felt it was too long, plus it was completely out of my usual “pretty tune” mode of songwriting. In fact, it was more a Christian rock song and, perhaps a little too dark for most audiences. Would it be appropriate for prison?

Saturday morning I asked if I could do that song and received my okay from God.

Saturday afternoon I boarded the van (with five other people) and we drove the 25 minutes to the prison. I sat next to a gentleman, who I hadn't seen for many months.

I asked him, “Aren't you the one that plays the drums?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“They are electronic drums, aren't they? Did you bring them?”

“I sure did.”

“Say, I've got a new song I'm planning to sing tonight that could use drums. Can you help?”

“Sure,” he replied. “Let's go over it when we get to the prison chapel.”

I thought to myself how wonderful God sets up things. He gave me a drummer!

Once we arrived we saw how things were definitely going to be different that night. They hadn't called the pastor, but we found that this particular day the Muslims were using the chapel for Ramadan, a day of fasting and spiritual celebration, and the chapel wouldn't be available for another hour and a half.

We all decided to go to a local restaurant to kill some time.

Coming back, the pastor told us we'd have to cut our services short tonight. Nevertheless, I setup the microphone and borrowed the pickup so I could attach it to my guitar. In addition, the drummer and I worked a little on the song. One of the things our ministry team is constantly awed by, is how God orchestrates the service at the prison. Even though no one discusses it with anyone else, God prepares a special, unified service, through each of us. It is uncanny how it always comes together so perfectly.

Going into this “abbreviated” service, deep down, I knew that God would do what He always did so well. As the service progressed, I saw that the men were getting charged with the Holy Spirit, with each new speaker from our group. An older lady spent some time sharing some Reader's Digest jokes but, beyond the jokes, the Holy Spirit was washing over her and the rest of us as well. She spoke a little longer than she usually did.

The next speaker happened to be an alumnus of this particular prison. He laughingly says, “Class of '94.” He spoke his usual amount of time. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw there was only about 20 minutes of time left for the service. Would I get to sing the song?

The pastor suddenly began speaking about the cross and as he did, I began to realize that it was likely my six minute song was not going to be sung tonight. For a second, my mind began to drift into self pity as well as embrace the question, “Why did God want me to come to the service tonight?”

Then, just as quickly, I knew that I DID NOT want to go there. God knew what He was doing, when He set this service up. I began to get into the inspired words of the pastor, as he spoke of the salvation our Lord gives to us NOW, as well as for eternity with the blood He shed for us from the cross. I found myself shouting, “Amen” periodically, with the rest of the men there. The older lady who was the first speaker was sitting next to me and she leaned over to me and whispered, “Are you going to be singing your song?”

I whispered back, “I don't see how. It is an abbreviated service and the song is six minutes long.” Nevertheless, I had the peace of the Lord in my heart at that time.

The pastor wrapped up his message and asked the usual question always asked at the end of the service (just before the men are released to go back to their dormitories). “Are any of you men scheduled to be released before we come back next month?” Three hands went up. “Would you men step forward and let us pray for you?”

I got up with two others from our group and laid hands on one of the men as the pastor prayed for them. When finished, I sat down and waited for the pastor to let the men go.

Suddenly, there was some chatter outside the chapel and someone stepped in and said, “You have ten more minutes.” This had never happened before. I watched in awe as people began turning toward me and I heard, “How about a song from Victor?” The pastor introduced me and the drummer and I made our way to the platform.

As I began singing the long, six-minute song, I found it very hard to believe that I was even up there singing it. I watched the drummer getting into the rhythm I had established for this song, and once again, I was caught up in how awesome our God is. I had totally let the song go, knowing that there simply was no time to sing it. I had totally turned the service over to God. I had run from the pity party that Satan was setting up for me and now, to the glory of God, was sharing an ultimately uplifting and rather deep song about forgiveness.

About five men came up after the song and thanked me, telling me how blessed they were with my material. God, indeed, had me in His plans with the service that night. The prayerful coin toss I had, concerning both where I was supposed to go and which song I was supposed to sing, had each been answered with exact precision. Only God knew how the evening was to end—but, boy, did I have a story to share when I dropped in, rather late, to my friend's dinner party!

Nature of God: Even after all these examples in which, by my prayerful coin toss before God, I have seen His wisdom shine forth in my life, I am still in awe as I watch God work. I did not want to go to prison this month because a close friend was having a dinner party. God said I must go. I wanted to sing the long song and God said I could. But all through the abbreviated service, it did not look as if I would be able to. It was unprecedented when someone stepped in to give us ten more minutes and I was allowed to sing that song. Do you see how God was working in this? Is God working this much in your life?

I can truthfully say that God wants to work in your life as much as He is working in mine. It is WE who are trying to hide from God, not God who is trying to hide from us. It is our rebellious and “know-it-all” attitudes that flush out God's magnificent insight so that we can have our trivial one. When will we ALL take Jesus as our Lord and Savior and wake up from this dream that we travel alone in this world and that divine help is not available to us? When?



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