I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. - Matthew 25:36 (ESV)

Devotion

When was the last time you spent time with someone totally different from you? Have you ever stopped and realized you have surrounded yourself with people just like you? You go to the same church, your kids go to the same schools, you are a part of the same organizations and groups, you go to the same Bible study, you live in similar subdivisions, you drive similar cars, etc. This didn’t really hit me until I spent some time in prison.

I have worked at Crossings for almost six years. Five years ago, I worked through Centered with the Crossings staff, and it changed me. One week in the Centered curriculum focuses on serving. Our serve project was with the men at Joseph Harp Correctional Center who were doing Centered for the first time. I’ll be honest and say I was not sure when I heard about it. I’d never thought I’d spend time in prison. I thought, “Well, I guess we'll go in there and ‘fix’ these guys.”

Wow, did God have a different agenda!

What I found was God using broken people to minister to me—a broken woman. I used to think these men and women deserve to be in prison, and I wouldn’t concern myself with them. What I actually saw were men who did horrible things, and God showed up for them when they were at their lowest and they answered his call. 

Some grew up in church, some had never stepped foot in a church, some were raised by two parents, but a lot were raised by a single, drug-addicted parent or were in foster care. What I found was God loves them just like he loves me, and there are no separate “levels” of sin. Sin is when we don’t meet God’s standard, and we’ve all done that! 

Romans 3:23 says, “All have fallen short of the glory of God.” God forgives people who are incarcerated just like he forgives me.

I found men loving the Lord, spreading his love with others, mentoring each other, providing accountability for one another, encouraging one another, and studying their Bibles. They knew Scripture better than anyone! I found men who worship the Lord with more heart than you will find in most church services. I found men who challenge me to grow in my relationship with Christ. I found men who need someone to show up, talk to them, show them they care, love them, and pray for them. 

I started volunteering at Joseph Harp at the beginning of our campus in 2018. Now, I have the privilege to work full time as the Prison Volunteer Coordinator. I love introducing others to the church behind bars. It’s getting people outside their comfort zone so God can stretch them and show them that this world is made up of a lot of different people. God uses people every single day that don’t look or think like you.

I encourage everyone to ask God where he wants you to GO. Who does he want you to see with eyes like he does? Who does he want you to help or encourage or feed? 

Will you go where God is leading you? I am so incredibly thankful for a church that gave me an opportunity to serve alongside some people who are different from me, but who have drawn me closer to God.

I am encouraged and energized every time I spend time in prison. Yes, those incarcerated there have done bad things, but honestly, I don’t even know what most did to land them in prison. The reality is, I don’t need to know. God knows and he has forgiven them. What I care about is who they are today. I assure you, there are some amazingly talented (as you saw from the Easter art project), intelligent people who want to be used by God. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ!

PRAYER

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for faithfulness and for your forgiveness. Thank you for a church that allows us so many opportunities to get outside of our “bubble” and GO where you would lead us. Give us eyes to see people as you see them. Teach us how to connect with people different from ourselves. Help us to see when we have YOU in common, walls are torn down, and we are united. Thank you for putting people in our lives who encourage and challenge us to draw closer to you. In your loving name, amen.

Tammy Baskind

Prison Volunteer Coordinator

Tammy Baskind is Prison Volunteer Coordinator at Crossings Community Church. She is passionate about the Lord and loves connecting people to Crossings Prison Campuses and what God is doing behind bars. 

Resources:

• Crossings Prison Ministry 
• “Go” sermon
• OKC School Outreach