A wife with "a gentle spirit." It's a good thing.

In my prior summary of the prison ministry weekend at Scott Correctional Facility, I forgot to mention this.

Most of our time is spent in what we call the "Community Room," which in this case was a section of the gymnasium divided off with canvas-like tarps hanging on metal rods. The prisoners attending the weekend sit at tables with the volunteers - six female prisoners to a table with three female volunteers at each table. My wife was seated at a table in one of the back corners of the room, probably 30 yards from the other end of the room. The format of the weekend doesn't allow each volunteer to really have time to get to know each prisoner, which leads to the comment that was made by one of the prisoners at the end of the weekend.

Each prisoner is given an opportunity to speak at the end of the weekend and one prisoner, during her comments, said, "Where's the lady with the long white hair?" All the volunteers sit together facing the prisoners at this service. I'm sitting next to my wife and we both turn around and look for the lady with the long white hair that she was asking about. Oh - by the way, my wife has long white hair. The prisoner then points to my wife and says that she never had a chance to talk to her at all during the weekend but she was watching her from across the room and couldn't help but notice her "gentle spirit," and she wanted to acknowledge her for that.

Yes, people DO pay attention to us. Even when we think they don't. That's one thing no one has ever said about me - having a gentle spirit.....but my wife has received that compliment many times. I am blessed.