Gloria to God:

Dear God, long have I thought that Heaven should be available to people in prisons and nursing homes. But I haven't done anything. I keep waiting.

The other night I saw a little of a documentary on maximum security prisons. A warden or guard said: "They don't deserve any better than this."

This prison had no pretense at rehabilitation. There were no courses for the prisoners to take, no hope given to them at all. I don't even know if they had books. I believe they all had life sentences except for those who had death sentences. The crimes were armed robbery and murder, I believe. Those who were in death row were allowed to have church services separated by distance and bars. Those who had life sentences (all without possibility of parole) were not even allowed church services.

One prisoner said, "We are less than animals locked in cages."

Another said, "They want to take all of our spirit away."

Another said: "This is what the public wants. This is how they think we should be treated."

It seems to me that it is urgent that Heaven get into prisons. I don't know how to begin. I suppose I should write to the wardens of prisons. Is there a government department of prisons? I suppose I should just begin somewhere.

God:

Start with Departments of Rehabilitation. Write letters. Write everywhere.

Gloria:

I will.

As I was writing the above, and as indignant as I feel, I was thinking: "Surely not all of the prisoners deserve this." But if I was thinking that, I must also have been thinking that SOME did deserve that, or there was no other way to handle them. If I think that way, then my mentality is no different from the warden's except in numbers.

I know You, dear God, would say that every Human deserves Your goodness. Do You really see us as all the same? I am afraid you are going to say that some have greater needs than others, and then I think of a serial killer and I don't want to think their needs are greater than someone else's.

God:

Can you think that their blocks are greater?

Gloria:

Yes.

God:

Here's the thing: whatever you may think of someone's chances of rehabilitation, the potential is there. I would want everyone given that chance, and given one more opportunity and another. I do not give up on anyone.

I understand the reality of life in prison, for the management and for the prisoners.

You taught school, Gloria. You know the difference in world terms between the ideal and what is.

It is easy for someone to say how things should be. Have compassion for the guards and the makers of the prisons and its rules, for they, along with the prisoners, are run by it.

Control runs the schools and control runs the prisons. Control has its limits and its pain for the controller and the controlled.

Love doesn't mean being stupid. It doesn't mean that all behavior is okay. It doesn't mean that the surface level of love will cure all or anything.

It is love for Me that will heal. Love for Me is an awareness that allows for growth. It is not a love that tries to prove itself or its worth. It is a love bigger than that. It is a vision bigger than that.

You, alone, can do nothing, Gloria. You know that, and you feel defeated already.

But you are not alone, and I can do anything, and you will be My writer of letters to prisons. You will take My love and put it in that direction. You write the letters, mail them. And have no attachment to the outcome.

What if you send one thousand letters? And you get no response.

What if you send the one-thousandth and one, and get one response?

Oh, that human tendency to count numbers. And to number success by the count.

The numbers don't matter.

Hearts matter.

Send out My love.

That is success.

Reach one heart, and you have reached all.

Reach My heart.

Will you do this for Me, not for you, not even for prisoners, but for Me? That is the only way to do it, dear one.

Gloria:

Yes, of course.

God:

All you have to do is send out letters. You have no other responsibility in this. The responsibility is Mine.

* * *

Tahmi to Heavenletters:

Thanks so much for the God writing course yesterday! I can't think of a more eloquent thank you than a HUGE smile to express how happy I am with this gift you've given me!

Tina to Heavenletters:

Gloria, about my camping vacation with my two teen-age children — if you compare what happened to what I was looking forward to — thank God and HEAVEN that I stayed pretty non-attached to the expectations I had and rolled with the punches instead. There was certainly no pretending that it was perfect and that control and planning had anything to do with the manifestation. But, I managed to stay peaceful and accepting. I have really changed!

Good thing I had Heavenletters to come home to!