Letters of Forgiveness from Prison

This may be a unique "Morning Sonshine" post for it doesn't really seem like Sonshine at all. Yet as I share, remember what lengths Christ went to for us, that we would be saved. 

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2 

I continue to follow the story of Pastor Saeed Abidini, an American Christian Pastor that is still being held in prison and tortured for his faith in Iran, simply because He is a Christian. I've been praying for Him…praying that His faith would stay strong. I know thousands of people are praying for him too. (And he is only one person out of thousands who are being held hostage and abused because of their faith today! It's hard to imagine, especially for those of us that live in the FREE Western world, but sadly, this is the reality in many countries still today. The fact is, most behind bars do not have an advocate to speak on their behalf. Pastor Abidini is an American citizen and has a wife here that is speaking for him.) 

Let me share a few snippets from the most recent letter that he has managed to get out of the prison to his family. This is amazing, and if we think we have problems, we won't after we read his letter. :-) 

Hello to my dear love and wife,

When I saw my family for the first time behind the glass walls, I could see my mom four meters away. As she approached me and saw my face, she broke down and could not get closer. She was crying. I understood what she felt because after weeks of being in solitary confinement in Evin Prison, I also got to see my face in the mirror of an elevator that was taking me to the prison hospital. I said hi to the person staring back at me because I did not recognize myself. My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown.

A few days ago they brought a young war veteran who was disabled in 80% of his body in my cell. He had been put in solitary confinement with his horrific condition. And this had made him very mad and he kept saying “why did they do this to me? I gave my whole life for their sake. See what they have done to me!!!” And when he would get very mad he would say “I will take my revenge!”

I spoke to this young man until 4 in the morning. I spent time with him and spoke to him to forgive. When we don’t forgive, we drink the poison ourselves and then wait for the other person to die. And we take the knife that has hurt us and we stab ourselves with it again! And this is the will of the evil one who wants to destroy us.

Maybe you ask, what is the secret of being so happy in such a hard situation?

Forgiveness and a change of attitude. When we forgive, we become free and we become messengers of peace and reconciliation and goodness. And whoever stings us, we can take into our embrace and love them. And in this dark and evil time, we can live full of love and full of peace and full of joy and shine like the stars! Glory be to His Name.

I forgave the prison doctor who did not listen to me and did not give me the medication that I needed. I forgave the interrogator who beat me. Every day when I would see the interrogator and for the last time when I saw him, I forgave him. I smiled at him and with respect shook his hand and I said my goodbye. The minute I forgave them and loved them, that second I was filled with unspeakable joy. I saw in the eyes of the interrogator that he had come to respect me and as he was leaving, he could not look behind him. Love is as strong as death.

One of the chances of forgiveness came when I was blindfolded and a guard was holding my hand guiding me. He asked “what are you here for? What is your crime?” I said “I am Christian Pastor.” All of the sudden he let go of my hand and said “so you are unclean! I will tell others not to defile themselves by touching you!” He would tell others not to get close to me. It really broke my heart. The nurse would also come to take care of us and provide us with treatment, but she said in front of others “in our religion we are not suppose to touch you, you are unclean. Baha’i (religion) and Christians are unclean!” She did not treat me and that night I could not sleep from the intense pain I had. According to the doctor’s instructions, they would not give me the pain medication that they would give other prisoners because I was unclean.

I could not fall sleep one night due to the pain when all of a sudden I could hear the sound of dirty sewer rats with their loud noises and screeches. It was around 4 in the morning. It sounded like laughter in a way.

Even though many would call me unclean and filthy and would not even want to pass by me and they had abandoned me and they were disgusted to touch me because they were afraid that they would also become unclean, but I knew that in the eyes of Jesus Christ, and in the eyes of my brothers and sisters, I am like the sewer rat, beautiful and loveable – not disgusting and unclean – and like the rats I can scream with joy within those prison walls and worship my Lord in joy and strength.

The Joy of the Lord is my strength. Amen.

How could someone write like this who has obviously been so wrongly treated and abused? Only because the JOY of the LORD is TRULY his strength! May THIS JOY be our strength as well!

Review:

• Bible Thought: The Joy of the Lord can be our strength, no matter our circumstances, behind prison bars, or behind a mountain of personal trials here in the West. 
• Blessing: God has given us a choice…we can become bitter by these trials, or better. Pastor Saeed is becoming better through God's strength. 
• Battles: That today the Joy of the Lord would be my strength!