Last week, a mother called and asked if I could visit her son in jail. He had been arrested for possession of cocaine. She shared that his arrest was a violation of his probation for a previous conviction of drug use.

When I went to the jail, he was expecting me. Evidently, his mother told him that I’d be coming. He was in his late 30s, married and the father of three children.

After some small talk, I asked how long he had been using drugs. “For about 20 years” was his reply. “Do you really want to quit?” I asked. He said that he did.

I then asked, “Do you believe in God?” “Yes,” he said, “but I don’t

go to church.” The next question usually gets everyone’s attention.

“If you died today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?” The most common answer I get is, “I hope to go to Heaven.” Without hesitation, this young man answered, “I’d

go to Hell.” “At least you know where you’re headed, but you can change direction any time,” I said. He again replied, “I don’t go to church.”

I told him that Christianity is about a relationship, not a religion. He seemed interested, and I asked if he had ever heard about being born-again. He said yes, but didn’t understand what it meant. “It’s so simple that it confuses many people,” I said.

I then asked, “Do you believe in God and believe that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to be crucified for our sins and that He rose from the dead and sits at His Father’s right hand in Heaven?” He said that he did. I asked if he wanted to pray, and he said yes.

I held his hand, and he repeated after me to ask God to forgive every sin he ever committed, and then he invited Jesus into his heart to be the Lord of his life.

As we finished praying, his head bowed, I noticed he was crying. I told him that the shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” “For a man to cry is not a weakness,” I said, “but a strength.”

We hugged as we ended our visit, and I promised to follow up on him next week.

I’m not one that thinks everyone I pray with is sincere. Some pray with their mouth and not their heart. I, however, believe that in that jail this young man was touched by God and will never be the same.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call (985) 652-8477, or e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.