Jailbirds Can Fly!

We recently received a letter from a prisoner who is serving a life sentence for armed robbery. At a very low moment, he found a copy of An Anchor for the Soul. He called it “the best book about God and Jesus that I’ve ever read, so I rededicated my life to Christ and I can feel Him pulling me into prison ministry.”

He sent along two poems he had written. I’m passing along the one called “Jailbird” because of its powerful imagery:

Birds of the air, born to fly, way up high in the clear blue sky,
Never knew that a bird could not fly, till I saw one with my own eyes.

I saw a bird that could not fly, a blue bird, with big black feet, dark colored eyes, and small white stripes on both his sides, white stripes on a bird that cannot fly.

Plucked of all his feathers, wings clipped and stripped bare, trapped in a cage in a world that don’t care…Lost and left to die, this bird that can’t fly, can only look up high, wishing he could fly.

Along in his cage, broken, cold, and full of rage. Life turns the page and this bird begins to age. All hope is gone as tears fall from his eyes, the bird that can’t fly slowly begins to cry…Looking to the sky and asking God why he made a bird that could not fly.

But then he heard a voice that came from the sky. It said, Wash your face, lil bird, and dry the tears from your eyes, because son I ain’t never made a bird that could not fly.

I’m the living God, and I created all things, and I would never forget to give a jailbird his wings…I sent my only Son (Jesus) to die for you, to show you some things, and to teach you how to use those wings…

Because without Him you will surely die, and you will always be that poor lil bird that could not fly….

So rise up lil bird! Read my Word and learn to fly, cause whoever told you that jailbirds can’t fly, I’ll deal with him later…cause he told you a lie!!

Believe in me, hold your head up high, be strong and don’t give up lil bird…because jailbirds can fly!!

God has given this prisoner a message of hope. By God’s grace, he has been set free even though he is still behind bars.

We don’t know how he found a copy of Anchor, but he did. Your generosity makes it possible for us give away thousands of Anchors every year to men and women who need Jesus.

Would you join me in praying for this brother and for many other prisoners who are reading An Anchor for the Soul?

Thank you for your support and for your prayers!

Ray