Gary was introduced to Christianity at a young age by his mom. While she was dedicated to her faith and took her three boys to church, their father spent Sundays drinking beer at home. Gary’s time in Sunday school was cut short when his parents filed for divorce.
“There was a custody hearing, and the judge left it up to me to decide which parent I wanted to live with. I felt sorry for my dad, maybe even a little guilty, so I chose to go live with him. Looking back, it was the worst mistake I could have made,” Gary recalled. “I was at an impressionable age.”
Without proper guidance from his father and under the negative influences of his friends, Gary was led down a dark path. This eventually resulted in a tragic mistake—Gary took the life of a close friend and was sentenced to life in prison.
For many years, Gary struggled with anger, guilt, and rebellion against authority. Despite his inner turmoil, he prayed every night, seeking forgiveness. However, his actions continued to reflect the anger and confusion that had plagued him for so long.
Everything changed when Gary received two unexpected letters during a mail call. One was from his daughter, asking why he wasn’t doing everything he could to turn his life around and come home to her. The other was from the daughter of the friend whose life Gary had taken. Despite the pain Gary had caused, his friend’s daughter chose to forgive him, a gesture that deeply moved him.
“I’ve been shot, run over, stabbed, and nothing a had the effect that those two letters have had on me!” he said. “I wrote them both back and promised to do better.”
Ten years later, Gary’s life looks radically different.
With the support of these two young women and Crossroads’ mentors, Gary completed numerous self-help programs, earned his GED, and even started a men’s self-help group that now has over seventy participants—all striving to better themselves.
It was during this time that Crossroads Prison Ministries became a lifeline for Gary. Through the correspondence-based mentorship program, he began to study the Bible regularly. He shared that the time he spent in Bible study became precious hours, free from the negative influences that had once consumed him. Crossroads’ mentors have helped Gary see that his life still has value and purpose, even behind bars.
Today, Gary still talks with the young women who changed his life. He now considers his late friend’s daughter as his own, and she sees Gary as a father figure.
“This is how God is working in my life: He has made me part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” Gary said. “I’ve now been in prison for 28 years and even from here, I can still be worth something as long as I let God work through me! I still want to come home, but if it’s God’s wish that I do His work from here, I’m good with that.”
Gary’s story is a powerful testament to the difference the simple act of writing a letter can make. Words of hope, encouragement, and forgiveness led Gary from a life filled with anger and despair to one of hope and purpose, showing that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.
Countless others, like Gary, in prisons around the world are seeking hope and redemption. You can be a part of their transformation by becoming a Crossroads mentor or by donating to support this life-changing ministry. Your involvement can offer the encouragement and support that helps individuals like Gary turn their lives around and become the people God meant them to be. Sign up as a mentor or donate today and help change a life.