Carlos wrote that he had come from Mexico legally with a work visa and had met his wife while working here. He had received Jesus as his Lord and Savior but he was not attending church on a regular basis. Soon he began to drink and had problems with his wife. Then he got an OWI and came to Polk County Jail where I met him about three years ago. Carlos recommitted himself to following Jesus, but never followed through on getting into a church. He came to Jail again and this time with a domestic violence change.
As we were going through John 5 in our recent Bible study Jesus tells the paralytic man, “Now see you have been made well. Sin no more, lest something worse happens to you.” He suddenly said with tears in his eyes, “That is me. The last time I was here, I told God that I would return to Him and go to church. I never did.” He told the men that he wanted them to learn from his experience and that God is not mocked.
Carlos is now being deported and rightfully so. Even though he is leaving his family and home here, he knows that God is righteous and merciful. Although he is forgiven, Carlos has to face the consequences for his actions. He said, “I want to return to the Lord, commit to following Him, and live my life in a way that will bring Him glory.”