Kirsten and Scott--a husband and wife that are separated by jailhouse walls, as he is incarcerated despite his innocence. He is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. As a family of 4, and then 5, as the story unfolds, Scott and Kirsten knew the "good life." But God had a better one in store. They first had to be broken. They plumb new depths of their faith and in their knowledge of the Word in these days that some would consider dark, but that God infused with great joy. Throughout a total of 16 months of separation they wrote letters to each other that are filled with the stories that capture the depth of their love, family life, fear, questioning, and details of what God is doing in, around and through them. Many of the letters are laced with snaphots of jailhouse interactions in the maximum security unit where God still dwells. It is inspiring to see how the Holy Spirit moves throughout the whole situation when you see Scott’s letter next to Kirsten’s as the days go by. Prayers are being prayed and answered and it is all recorded in the daily wrap-up. It is a God story. It is a love story. And the letters are delivered daily. Make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed to receive daily updates of our story. To learn more about this blog and the background behind it, check out the About Section.

take 2: october 3rd – inside/out

by Kirst on February 4, 2010

Hi Sweetheart,

It has been a very long weekend for me and I am praying that yours was the opposite.  Well, I hope it was long in the sense that you got to enjoy some quality time with your girlfriends.  I guess what I mean is that I was praying  that this weekend would be everything you hoped it would be.  I can’t wait to hear about it.

Right now it is just after dinner on Sunday night.  I am reflecting back upon the day and realizing that I have been in in a funk.  So I am spending some time in God’s Word tonight and praying for Him to deliver me from my current mood.  Like I was telling one of my friends in here earlier, I just want to get to know people and be an example of Christian living.  I refuse to let my moods, or the politics in the place to keep me from following God’s leading.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of my despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.  He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what He has done and be astounded.  They will trust in the Lord.”  Psalms 40:1-3

The Lord hears those who love Him!

Yesterday I was walking and Carlos came up to me.  I could tell he had some things weighing on his mind.  So we walked and talked for awhile.  He is normally a very even-tempered, stoic individual.  Not much gets this guy flustered, he is a rock of faith.  But yesterday he was in a valley and needing a friend to talk to. 

They call it “hardtiming it.”  He had been spending a lot of time thinking about his case that day and felt kind of lost, or maybe disconnected.  This place does that to a man, or in most cases, to kids.  They are young, have made a mistake and can’t talk to anyone about it.  They would love to be able to talk things over with a family member, someone they trust and respect, but because the phones are monitored they can’t. 

This is exactly where Carlos found himself, floundering for answers and looking for direction.  Now, Carlos is a Christian, and a Christian who is seeking after Christ.  He knows that his strength comes from Christ and he should have nothing to fear.  But he had been praying that morning for comfort and up until our conversation he had not received any.  He was literally near tears.  As I recount the story I realize that God worked through me to give him that peace.  We must have walked and talked for an hour.  And at the end I still didn’t feel like I had provided him with anything more than just an open ear and honest concern.  But he came back to me later and thanked me for listening and mentioned that it had made all the difference.  God is amazing!  He was using me and I hadn’t realized it, maybe that is the way it is supposed to be.  I just pray that he will still find in me a useful vessel for his work, everyday.

I feel much better now having had this “conversation” with you sweetheart!  Writing to you always boosts my spirits, it makes me feel closer to you.  I’ll write more later.

I love you, Scott

Related Letters

  1. take 2: september 28th – inside/out
  2. take 2: october 19th – inside/out
  3. take 2: december 25th – inside/out
  4. take 2: september 22nd – inside/out
  5. take 2: october 14th – inside/out

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Hi name is Kirsten, and I am the author of Inside/Outside. If you are new to the site, please read About The Letters and make sure you Subscribe To My Feed. To learn more about me and my interests, check out the About Me Page.

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