This is a true story, but I will only use first names! Rusty had plunged very deeply into a life of crime, and the climax of his evil pursuits came when in a drunken stupor he committed a multiple murder! It was October, 1985 that a volunteer visited Rusty in his jail cell. Bob could hardly believe what he saw when he looked in upon Rusty. His long dirty blond hair and beard were matted and greasy, his face was like that of a dead man.
Bob spoke to Rusty, but no response! The final remark of Bob to him was, "Look around you, son! Look at what you are living in! The roaches have taken over, and you are spiritually a dead man, son. Jesus can give you something better. Don't you want to pray to give your life to Him instead?" Rusty nodded, his eye glistening, then tears streamed down his cheeks, and he bowed his head, "Jesus," Rusty prayed, "I've hurt a lot of people. Ain't no way that I deserve to have You hear me. But I'm tired, and I'm sick and I'm lonely. Please forgive me, Jesus, for everything I've done. I don't know much about You, but I'm willing to learn, and I thank you for listening to me."
Following that simple honest prayer, unbelievable changes came into Rusty's life! In the process of time he sought forgiveness of those that he had hurt the most! Among those he contacted was the younger brother of the woman he had murdered, but there was no response from Lee. He was angry and unforgiving toward Rusty. But one day, Lee too, found the forgiveness of Christ in his life, and Lee wrote these words to Rusty, "For years I hated you with all my heart. Then I too became a Christian. And the more I learned about being a Christian, the more I knew I had to forgive you. I didn't want to. But it got to where I couldn't even pray the Lord's prayer---"... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." At first, it made me mad---now I had to forgive you. I've prayed about it, and God has done a miracle in my heart. I forgive you! We are brothers in Christ, I love you."
Rusty looked up, blinded by tears and the radiance of God's goodness to him! Forgiven! Not only by Christ, but now by the man he had offended most here on earth. Eventually, Rusty and Lee would meet face to face, and pray for each other! That was a brief time prior to Friday, April 27, 1990 when, by way of the Electric Chair, Rusty went to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ! That's the power of the message of Easter!
