One night about 2:00 a.m., the man in the bunk beside me whispered, "Are
you still awake, Paul?"
"Yes, I am still awake, Robert."
"Paul, I know why you're in jail. God put you in here for me. You started me on reading the scriptures. I have read many passages and I finally found the one that applies to me. It says, 'My Grace is sufficient for thee.' 2 Corinthians 12:9 That is my only hope. His Grace is all that I have. Maybe now I can go on in this hopeless condition."
When Robert and I first became cell mates, he wanted to commit suicide. He saw no hope. He had lost his wife, his child, his reputation and even his dog after being falsely accused of being an accomplice to a murder. His court-appointed lawyer told him he was looking at 30 years in jail.
A video camera was pointed at the two of us 24-hours a day. Robert was being monitored because of his suicidal tendencies and I was being watched because I was fasting.
After I left the jail, Robert and I continued writing letters. Several years later Robert was finally released from prison. He came to the Embassy to work and learn for awhile before heading to Iowa to start a new life.
When in jail, be a light on a hill. Someone might need you.