Because of Joe

NEXT MEETING: July 9, author Lori Smith: “The Pros & Cons of Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing”

Editor's note: Each month, the CCW blog features one of our members. This month, Susan Lyttek talks about how her correspondence with a prisoner inspires her to write.

For a long while, I had an on-again, off-again correspondence with a prisoner, “Joe,” in California. Between gang involvement and years of drug abuse, Joe found himself in jail. While inside, his life changed forever. The hallucinations that accompanied his drug withdrawal led to his unknowingly murdering a fellow prisoner. Now, he knew he’d never see the outside again. But between our years of writing and prison Bible studies, he came to Christ. In lucid moments, this gave Joe hope of an eternal life and true freedom.

In spite of his limitations, Joe tried to give. Knowing I had two young sons, he would draw pictures and cartoons as presents for them. One time, when I thanked him for a cartoon my older son particularly enjoyed, his return response was something I never will forget.

“I’m glad to do something to return what you have given me and your prayers. I fully realize that if you met me in life, I’d probably scare you. Between the damage I’ve done to my body, plus the tattoos and piercings, I’m not a pretty sight. But I’m glad that when I do meet you in heaven someday, you’ll be proud to call me a brother in Christ.”

Wow. The thought of who Joe appeared as in the flesh and the reality of our heavenly relationship floored me. Even more, I felt blessed by what God had allowed my words to do—to reach a supposedly unlovely person and see the value and beauty of that human soul.

For the next couple of years, my letters from Joe grew more erratic. He told me the hallucinations had become increasingly frequent—often threatening to cause himself or others harm. Many letters arrived written in crayon because he had stabbed himself with both pens and pencils. Then the messages stopped. A few months later, one of my letters was returned, unopened. I assumed Joe had died.

I grieved for the loss of our correspondence and his presence. My boys also missed his pictures. The hole Joe left in our lives was real.

But in the midst of my grief, Joe’s words echoed through my memories: “…but in heaven, someday, you’ll be proud to call me a brother in Christ.”

I write, as I think most Christian writers do, to touch my unlovely companions on this sphere with God’s beautiful grace. I knew Joe because, as my pen pal, he told me things about himself. How many others do our words of eternity reach? Those people we never see face to face, and people who would never cross our path could well benefit from our words?

So think of Joe and write that devotion. Publish that blog. Finish that book. Write what God calls you to write in obedience so the words bear the fruit of lovely souls.

And always keep in mind that someday, we’ll be proud to call them brothers and sisters in Christ.