The letter was sent to me. The return address reads the state penitentiary.
Upon opening it I recognized the name of the sender. A quiet, hard-working man who had been employed by our company. He now found himself in a cell counting days. He was on day 284.
It's true what they say, you know. Bad things happen to good people.
I read the letter.
I am touched by it.
There is no earth-shattering information, nor deep emotional words.
No hint of anger.
No whisper of self pity.
Only gratitude.
His words tell me of his arrest, his sentencing and what he hopes for over the next several months. He lays out his goals and speaks of his accomplishments.
He offers thanks for the promise of employment.
He confides he has no words to convey the magnitude of what he feels around that hope.
As promised, upon his release we brought him back. He's now been employed with us for several years.
I still have the letter. I pull it out every once in awhile and read it.
Like today.
The letter is a tangible thing I can hold reminding me what God asks of me in each today.
Show gratitude, find hope, seek joy and be thankful in all things.
This has nothing to do with circumstance.
It has everything to do with God.
Did he become a rags-to-riches story? Has he become successful despite his past?
Sometimes success is measured in the height of the corporate ladder climbed.
Sometimes it is measured in the journey one takes.
And sometimes success comes simply in the strength one gains from the battle.
The world doesn't define your success.
God does.
And in Him we are all a rags-to-riches success story.
