Before I went to prison I never liked to read and certainly never thought I would write a book. But God has given me the opportunity to do both. From time to time I would like to share some of the stories I have come across. The other night I read a story in one of Max Lucado’s books and thought this would be a good place to start.

To paraphrase the story there was a man named Henry but to the neighbors he was Mr. Doom and Gloom. He did not want to be unhappy so he decided to talk to his Pastor to see what was wrong. The Pastor told Henry he was guilty of the sin of ignorance, because one of his neighbors was the Messiah in disguise, and he had not recognized Him.

The man left wondering who the Messiah might be. He began to notice things he had never seen before. Instead of looking for bad in people he began to notice the good. The grocer carrying out the groceries for the elderly, could he be the Messiah? He started noticing things he never noticed before. As time went on Henry’s attitude changed and the bounce returned to his step.

People began to notice, and when asked about his change he replied, “I don’t know,” he answered. “All I know is that things changed when I started looking for God.”

What helped me the most during my time in prison was seeing the face of Jesus in those who were there for me and my family. When I started looking for God.

So, who is your neighbor?