Pen Pals

When Anna died at age 93, I lost a faithful friend and pen pal. I spoke to our wonderful Father about my sorrow and asked Him if He knew someone who would correspond with me on a regular basis. His answer came through Breakthrough.

I was blessed by an article published in The Breakthrough Intercessor magazine that was written by a man in prison. I contacted the editor who, upon receiving permission from the author, suggested that I write him to tell him how his article impacted me. This man was the pen pal the Lord had in mind.

Allow me to share how this friendship has blessed my life. For several years, the Holy Sprit has been speaking to me through Isaiah 54, which speaks of a childless woman singing to the Lord, enlarging her tent and encompassing descendants. I wondered how I could make the first several verses a reality in my life, so I inquired of the Lord: “Dear Lord, I am now 80 years old. How will these sons come into my life? How do I enlarge the place of my tent or spread abroad to the left and to the right?”

His answer came from a Florida prison.

There is so much sadness behind bars and the needs are enormous. I feel inadequate and helpless, but His Word tells me that “He is forever perfected in weakness.” He is only asking me to pray, and I do. Some situations seem so helpless. But I trust Him. He alone knows what to do.

I was filled with great joy at the thought that my Lord had this assignment for me at my age. Such joy was not present before. This is the Joy of the Lord and it came with the assignment. The Lord has filled my heart with His compassion for these men. He has also filled me with the desire to know more and more about life inside the fences. I have become an “encourager.” If my pen pal mentions a name, such as: “I met so-and-so, a friend from…,” this becomes a new person on my prayer list.

For example, I saw a young man on television. He lives in detention, on death row. To the human eye, there seems to be no hope. But my Lord has put His love and His compassion in my heart for this man. I feel the Lord’s pain for him. One day, he will look up and ask for help from above. This, I know! I trust my Lord and He is love.

Words fail to adequately express my joy and gratitude towards Jesus for trusting me with such an assignment at age 80.

It all began with a letter to Breakthrough and a pen pal in a Florida prison. Our Lord is full of surprises and I am always amazed at His sense of humor.

Dear Lord, please tell Your children behind fences that Your loving-kindness is everlasting; You have compassion for ALL of us; Your covenant of peace will never be shaken; You are our Maker and Redeemer, You, Lord of hosts.