Last night was ladies night at the jail; I was anticipating something special from the Lord because I've been reading the inspiring and stirring book called, "The Strip Club Chronicles" by Kelsey Decker. 

Although our ministries are in different locations, hers in the strip clubs, red light districts and wherever women are exploited, it is much the same; so I was inspired and hoped something deeply spiritual would happen. We meet in a small room on the main floor,  tucked away in a corner, it's my inner sanctum, that special place where Jesus sheds His love lavishly on the souls of the women I meet there, as well as my own. 

Five women came and I've met four of them before. The new person was a late teen girl wearing a hooded puffer jacket, zipped up to her chin revealing only her round little ebony face. She's the youngest girl in this part of the jail, so I expected her to be shy and withdrawn, but to my surprise she lit the room with her broad sun-bright smile.   Let's call her Tia. She wasn't a Christian, but was in love with a boy  whose father was a Pastor and was exposed to some Biblical themes there. 

She was eager to hear and, eager to talk. She began telling her story when we were interrupted by a guard who called her away: I know not why. I was a little disappointed but continued on with the other four women. About 15 minutes later she returned and was eager to tell her story, but we were right in the middle of a study so I asked if she could share it at the end? She happily agreed and said she could stay late, so we finished up and the other four ladies left us alone. Of course in the jail you are never alone, you're always under camera view. 

The Lord's presence envelops the room with feelings of safety, trust and acceptance; so she soon revealed that she was pregnant by her lover, but, in her despair, confusion, fear and poverty, decided to abort the child, and did so without the father's knowledge. This led to a break-up and now she sat weeping for the loss of her child and her lover. 

So here I sat, in front of this broken young girl fighting tears of deep grief: surely Christ's words encapsulated this moment -- 

"The Spirit of the Lord, the Eternal, is on me.

    The Lord has appointed me for a special purpose.

He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to repair broken hearts,

And to declare to those who are held captive and bound in prison..."

We spent the next hour together, wrapt in the Lord's embrace, as I reached for every heavenly word I could find, shared every verse and gave her all the resource material I had. 

She was my daughter that night, truly, these are the riches in Christ.