Transforming Grace!

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Acts 91-8; 1 Timothy 1:12-17

My friend Barb and I used to call them "haunted baking days." This designation had nothing to do with goblins or anything strange like that. No, a baking day was considered "haunted" if there were two or three disasters in the kitchen. Like dropping the baked thing on the floor or forgetting a vital ingredient. Just saying. Not that I ever have experienced either of these things. 😊 What to do if one of these days entrenches itself in your week? Cease all baking for the day. Have a cup of coffee, and hit it hard again the next day, and for certain, don't try to fix the mess that is staring at you. Simply toss it out because it is nonredeemable.

I'm thankful that although there are kitchen conundrums that can't be fixed, we have a God Who is so powerful and gracious that He can transform any life. Although we might look at someone as hopeless and nonredeemable, God sees them with different eyes. He knows that they are sheep who need a shepherd, Matthew 9:35-36.

For example, Saul. Yes, we know how the Lord got his attention and stopped him in his tracks on the Road to Damascus. Not being able to see has a way of slowing someone down, doesn't it, Acts 9:1-8? Even so, who could have guessed that Saul who violently opposed Christians would become our champion? Such a gracious God we have, 1 Timothy 1:12-17. He transformed a man whom almost everyone surely thought to be nonredeemable. Being made new happens in an instant, 2 Corinthians 5:17, but growing and changing as a result of that transformation is the gracious work of God that lasts a lifetime, 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Someone might say that what happened with Saul occurred long ago and wonder if God still transforms lives today? Such a good question, and I hope this true story reminds us all that no person is beyond the grace of Almighty God. Including those whose hearts seem to us to be as hard as Saul's. In addition to that, I hope this reminder of God's gentle on-going work in a life reminds us to be patient with ourselves and other believers. He's still working on us all!

The person being interviewed was Chris Baker, and what a God story he had to tell!  He now has a ministry providing cover-up tattoos for people who have been trafficked or those who formerly were gang members but who now wish to be free from that brand.

Baker grew up in Compton, California. More than fifteen of his friends were killed during his growing up years. In 2004, one of his friends Dante got out of prison. This man had turned his life over to Jesus while he was behind bars. Naturally, he wanted to tell his friends including Chris Baker, about the changes that he had experienced while in prison. Chris didn't want to hear about Jesus. I should insert here in the story that the prisoners were offered one extra hour of recreation if they would go to church, and Dante took the offer. Oh, doesn't the Savior use an innumerable number of ways to seek His sheep! Back to the story. The night of the "get out of prison" party, Chris and his best friend were outside Dante's mother's house. A gang member, Charles, who was a member of a rival gang than the one Dante had been in drove slowly by and shot Dante. He bled to death in Chris Baker's arms. Baker nursed a strong hatred for his friend's killer, but praise God, the story didn't end there. No, not for Chris and not for Charles. To cut to the chase, Chris testified against his friend's murderer and a sentence was given that was in excess of twenty years, but the hatred Chris felt wasn't assuaged.

During the ensuing years, Chris was saved and did ministry for the Lord. In 2022, Chris was offered a life changing ministry opportunity. He was asked by a friend if he would like to go speak at Chino Prison in California. He loved prison ministry and a chance to tell about the new life that Jesus offers to those who will receive it, John 1:11-12. After speaking to the group, it was time to interact with individual prisoners, and who do you think was waiting to talk with Chris? You guessed it. Charles, the man who had killed Chris' best friend. Neither man knew the other would be there, and Chris Baker admitted that had he known that Charles would be at Chino, he probably would not have come. His hatred was so deep. God had not yet done the work of healing that would continue to change Chris' life. It was at that point that Charles asked if he could correspond with Chris. He had cried and expressed repentance not only for having killed Dante but also all of the other evils he had committed. Baker admitted that he didn't ever want to write to Charles or hear from him again, but he couldn't ignore the Holy Spirit's promptings. Chris would correspond with him. Even though he would do it reluctantly.

Let's skip ahead to this year. Charles was up for parole and asked for Chris Baker's prayers. Once again, Chris was prompted by the Lord to not merely pray but to do even more than that. He would be a surprise witness on Charles' behalf. He made this decision even though he was not totally free from the strong feelings that he sometimes had because of the murder of his friend. Even so, the man who had help put Charles in prison was now going to speak on his behalf, and there was yet one more surprising twist to the story. Who was sitting in the gallery listening during the parole hearing? Both Charles' mother and Dante's, and they walked up together to speak on Charles' behalf. Talk about a work only the Lord could have done. Uniting the lives of the mother of the one who was murdered and the mother of the man who had committed the crime. There was grace around every corner. Lives that were changed for the here and now and forever. A grace story! The result of the parole hearing? Charles, the new and transformed Charles is out of prison, having just been released to a half-way house. There will be work for him because he learned how to weld during his time in prison.

May the Lord transform those whom we love. Even if their hearts right now seem hard as stone. All praise to the One Who can make them new.