“We’ve made room for you.”
These words were shown to my wife Hendrina and me through the actions and words of many people as we prepared for my incarceration, walked through that journey, and faced the time to come home. I didn’t deserve their grace and hospitality and couldn’t fully grasp the deeper impact it had on us as a family. Looking back, I see the commitment it took to come alongside a family in trouble, facing an uncertain future.
It meant looking past my choices and the damage I had caused. It meant moving beyond the inconveniences to their time and comfort. We never once heard, “We don’t have room for you.” Instead, people—just like you—welcomed us into their lives.
This month, as the Christmas story is told across the world, we’ll hear that there was no room available for Mary and Joseph despite Christ’s impending birth. Our Father, in His mercy, miraculously made room for us by sending His Son into the world (1 John 4:9-10). In Christ, every “outsider” is welcomed into His arms (Galatians 3:28). In turn, our expression of Christ should reflect the same (Matthew 25:31-46). As Paul writes, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7).
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:6-7).
Each time we open our hearts to others—whether that’s a neighbor who’s lonely, a friend in crisis, or someone who feels unseen—we echo God’s invitation. In our words, prayers, and actions, we say, “We’ve made room for you.” When our mentors write letters and guide students through Bible lessons, they remind them they are not forgotten. The Scriptures they point them to show that God has made an eternal room for them. Their prayers for them show that they have made room in their heart, even if they’ve never met face-to-face.
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).
This Christmas season—and in every season—consider how you can express to others, even those who feel isolated or unseen, that God’s love surrounds them. Remind them that, as part of His family, you have made room for them in your heart and prayers.
My desire is that every person who is or has been incarcerated can experience the Church as we did. That impact has never faded. May your desire to welcome others into your life never wane.
Merry Christmas!
Show someone they’re not forgotten. Give today to help reach more students behind bars.