Suffer and rejoice together

In this walk with Jesus we learn to live like the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:26, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

In other words, we are a family. We hurt when a member of our family hurts and celebrate together when something good happens. I experienced both extremes yesterday at Love In Action.

A homeless couple we have known for a couple of months have been struggling living in hotels and in a tent. They are regulars at Love In Action. If our doors are open they are there. We love them and help them anyway we can. They love Jesus. They are a sweet couple. Dan calls them the "Love Birds."

Yesterday, the husband walked up to me smiling from ear to ear, like a kid just polishing off a double dip chocolate ice cream cone with sprinkles. He said, "I have the best news." I had a pretty good idea what it was, because we have prayed and talked about housing for a while. But, I didn't want to spoil his moment, so I asked, "What?" With a smile a country mile long, he said, "We've got a house. We move in Friday."

We both raised our arms in praise to Jesus and then gave each other one of the biggest bear hugs in recorded history. We're both pretty big fellas. They are both so excited, as am I. They are grateful to LIA for the help they've received. It's another example of what a hand up, not a hand out, will do. To God be the glory! That's something to rejoice about.

The suffering came when I heard the news about a young man I led to the Lord and baptized about eight years ago. He made some very bad decisions, which will probably keep him in prison the rest of his life. My heart hurts. Tears flow.

When I first met him, he was troubled and incarcerated. He was an inmate at Houston County Work Release. We would get him and some other guys out for church, Bible study and to serve at Love In Action.

He was eager to learn about Christ. He asked questions, and smiled as he learned more about Jesus's love for him. His smile. Oh, that smile. It was an infectious smile. You couldn't help but smile back no matter what kind of day you were having.

I'll never forget the expression on his face when he came up out of the water when I baptized him. A friend caught it on camera. His smile was as bright as the sun on that beautiful Saturday afternoon at Chattahoochee State Park. About 10 people followed Jesus in baptism that day.

He continued to do good. Then he got out and did good for a while, but being around the wrong people he gave in and got arrested again and went back to prison. Upon his release he came to LIA seeking me. We talked and prayed and we gave him some food and clothing as he had nothing.

He landed a full-time job and kept it. He was determined, even riding his bike a few miles to work. He checked in to let me know how he was doing, but then I stopped hearing from him. I guess he got around the wrong people again and gave into peer pressure. He fell hard this time. Very hard. If proven guilty, I seriously doubt I'll ever see him outside a prison cell again.

That hurts. He, like everyone, is so full of potential. The tough part is surrounding ourselves with the right people, which is even harder when all you've ever known is wrong. Not having anywhere to go except to the your old stomping grounds. Trouble lurks around every corner. For many, the temptations are too strong.

The rapper Coolio addressed this issue in his 1995 hit song "Gangsta's Paradise." The song is about being trapped in a lifestyle that you can't seem to get out of, even though you know it's wrong. It's reality and something hard for people to understand who have never lived that life. Count yourself blessed.

So, as he sits behind prison bars,  I'm sure he regrets those bad decisions. I just pray he remembers the good ones he made, and will let Jesus fill his heart, even if he never gets out.

Suffer together and rejoice together. That's what family does.