Child of the King

This past week the chapel speaker talked about his ministry and how he helps children from gangs, drugs, and those whose parents are in jail. The part that stood out to me the most was the statistic that 70% of the children whose parents are incarcerated end up in jail. Seventy percent.

My brother Brandon and I are in this category. This topic hit home for me because 4 years ago tomorrow, my dad was arrested and has been in jail ever since. He took someone's life and affected the lives of many. I'm not writing this to ask for pity but to tell of God's great love and plan for me far beyond what I deserve.

I am a child of an incarcerated parent. I am a child of a divorced family. But more importantly, I am a child of the one True King. This week I have reflected on the past four years of my life. How one decision changed my future and how God rescued me from myself. See 4 years ago, I was hurt and bitter towards God. I didn't understand why God allowed this to happen to my family. My mom had gone through a nasty divorce and Brandon and I grew up in an abusive home. I've had my share of memories and heartache. Why would He allow me to suffer again?

It wasn't until a year later at Freedom Weekend, that God brought me to my knees and reminded me that this life isn't about myself. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us."

God could have taken this heartache away from me but instead He allowed it to happen for a reason. I still don’t fully understand why He has allowed it to happen but I know that this situation will bring glory to God if I allow Him to use me.

This entire passage of Romans points us to the future glory that is waiting for us. The struggle with having a dad in jail is only a small part of the life Christ has for me. The struggle of not having my dad around for my college graduation, wedding, and for my future family is the incredibly difficult and is a burden I bear every day. But I know that this present suffering is for a reason.

Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." This was me. I didn't have the words to pray and I sure didn't know what to pray for. But I find comfort in Christ alone. 

Fast forward four years and I am a Junior at Ouachita Baptist University. I am going to beat that statistic. Instead of letting this category define my life, I choose to trust in the Creator of the world because He knows my struggles and He has a bigger plan for me. I may be a child whose parent is incarcerated but I am a child of God.