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$10 Miracle
George was dead…executed by the State for a murder for money. As things turned out, George would affect my whole life. But let’s go back a few days.
I had felt led of the Lord to pray for George (not his real name) because I didn’t know if he knew the Lord or not. I prayed for a month or so and I didn’t feel like I had the answer. So, ever the optimist, I decided to go and see him.When I called the prison, the warden’s secretary couldn’t have been any nicer. She took my name and church affiliation; and then she asked about my ordination papers, as they had to be on file for a ministerial visit. When I told her I wasn’t ordained, she told me I couldn’t see him.
“Not at all?” I asked. “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “There is not enough time to get on his visitor’s list.” I hung up the phone with a heavy heart. I decided to call my pastor and talk to her. She had been my pastor for the past seven years and I had learned to trust her wisdom.
“Hello, this is Pastor Gloria. May I help you?” I told her the whole story. “Well, Glenn, don’t you want to be ordained?” I told her that was all I’d ever wanted. “I’ve seen you grow in the Lord and I know you have been to Bible School, so we’ll ordain you. We will do it a week from Sunday night.” “But Pastor, by then George will have been dead for 4 days. I don’t have much time,” I explained. “Well, we can do the paper work now and the service then,” was her reply. God always gives her the right answer.
Elated, I called the prison and talked to the warden’s secretary. I asked if I could just bring the papers down to the prison. She replied, “Just fax them. I will put you on file and call you tomorrow and make your appointment.” I hung up the phone feeling like I was on cloud nine. But, no call came the next day, which was Friday.
Saturday was a busy day as usual. I had run some errands in the morning. When I got home my wife, Sandy said the warden’s secretary had called. She told Sandy she never works on Saturday, but for some reason she had come in and found my faxed papers. I could see George anytime on Monday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. She said I could have 2 hours with him.
The question now was, “What do you say to a man about to be executed?” You don’t just say that he’s going to die in two days and he needs to know the Lord. I knew God had something special in store, but I was still concerned.
As I drove to death row on Monday, I spent the time praying and seeking God for just the right thing to say. Of course, God is always on time, and right, and often He has a surprise in store for us.
When I met George, I told him that I was ordained because of him. He said, “No. I may have been the vessel God used, but you are ordained because He wanted you ordained.” What a surprise that was!
George was ready for what was ahead. He spoke of his faith in God and that he was not afraid to pay the penalty for what he had done. We got to minister to each other for an hour. Then he had to leave for his pardon and parole hearing.Two days later he was executed.
Steppingstone Family Church in Burleson, Texas has been my church now for a number of years. It is where I gave my heart to the Lord. My pastor is Gloria Gillaspie. It is funny that I got saved there, because until I met the Lord in a very personal way, I was a chauvinist. It proves to me that God has a wonderful sense of humor. He planned to save me under a woman pastor’s ministry.
As usual, when God moves in someone’s life, my pastor was there to help and encourage. The church pledged money to this new ministry to help me go back. Thank you, Pastor Gloria for not doubting.
As I prepared to go back again, God sent other people to help me with suggestions that were greatly appreciated. One person suggested that I take along a roll of quarters to buy snacks for the men I visited.
So, as I headed back to death row, I bought a roll of quarters, and this is where I got my $10 Miracle.
As each of my men came down over the next day and a half, I offered to buy them a cold drink and a snack. Whatever they wanted, I’d get it from the vending machine and the guards would take it to the back of the cell and give it to them through a little door.
After my day and a half of visiting, I headed back home. When I got home, I took my change into the house and counted it. I was surprised to find that besides the dimes and nickels I had gotten back from the machines, I had $11 in quarters. My $10 in quarters had been returned and multiplied besides! I counted again and got the same amount.
When I called Pastor and told her, she was as excited as I was. All she could say was “loaves and fishes.” God is still God.
The ministry is growing now and there really is no end to it. God has sent us more men to counsel with; and He is moving by His Spirit on some men most people would consider unreachable.
Our vision is to reach every man and woman in every death row in America or where ever God send us. The message is the same: redemption through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We have seen men of all faiths and no faith reach out to Jesus and He’s always there.
All the glory be to God.
Pastor Glenn Taylor
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