"My heart is breaking right now for all of you. I saw what happened today when you guys got arrested and my heart cried out for your futures. I know that must have been humiliating and degrading to be arrested in front of all of those people." These are the beginning sentences of a letter I wrote to 5 young men who we serve lunch to on Wednesdays.
 
We had just finished passing the food plates out to the first 3 guys who were written on the order list. As we prepared the next 3 plates, I looked out my backdoor and saw several police cars pulling in between my building and the one behind mine. We then noticed that several of the young men who we had just given food plates to were running and the police were running after them.
 
Later I realized the police were after them for playing dice, which is illegal. Within ten minutes, the group of police had arrested about 10 young men, 5 of whom we were serving lunch to that day and the other 5 who have also come by on Wednesdays for lunch. They caught up with each of them, one by one, and brought all of them to a porch of the building behind mine.
 
We stopped preparing their food plates because we knew they would be arrested. As I watched this happen, my heart broke for them and their futures. About 20 people were standing on their porches watching as this happened. The police proceeded to line all ten of them up against a wall and lectured them.
 
It wasn't that I felt sorry for them, because I knew they've done worse things that were worthy of being arrested for. But as I looked at them, I saw a glimpse into their futures. I knew if they continued on this path of the street life, that their futures would be the same as other young men I know, who are now in prison. They are all in prison for crimes that were committed because of money. And, that's what dice games are all about, the money.
 
About 2 hours after they were transported to jail, I had to try and get as close as  I could to them, so I could pray for their hearts. So, I drove to the police department, sat in the parking lot and prayed for God to get a hold of their hearts. As I sat there, I wrote them a two page letter. "God has plans for your future, that if you will be open to letting His LOVE change you, He will lead you to a good future, one baby step at a time. God, who is LOVE, wants to make you into someone you would have never dreamed of being."
 
The young men are now out of jail. I have been able to track down a few to give them their letters. Because they tend to hide their true feelings, I realize that I may not hear their response to the letter any time soon. But, I believe with all of my heart that the words in that letter will penetrate their heart. After all, the Apostle Paul changed the world with only a few letters inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, I will not underestimate God's power to be able to anoint the words on those pages, pierce through their hardness and gently lead them into His hope filled future for them. Thank you JESUS!