I first noticed her and the young man sitting on some concrete steps inside the penitentiary. They were sitting close together and holding hands and the old woman seemed very distraught. Her hands were calloused and wrinkled because of many hard years, but her Bible was nearby. Her clothes were old and worn and a faded old blue scarf covered her head.

The prison system allows the families to come in and be with their loved ones for a few hours one day a year. The young man was there because he beat up his wife one night while smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol.

We were doing a special Christmas program that day so I asked him if he knew Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He said, “No” but he wanted to know more.

A good friend of mine and I told him about Christ and how He died on the cross for him, (John 3:16, Romans 5:8) and through Him there is forgiveness of our sins and a new relationship to God, (Romans 4:7&8, 5:1). He asked forgiveness and called up on Christ to be his personal Lord and Savior, (John 1:12).

What a wonderful Christmas present that old woman received. Her son accepting Christ. She cried and cried, but tears of joy. That forgiveness and the new birth is what Christmas is really all about, (John 3:3). See you in Church next Sunday.