Steve Adams

Every person on the planet has been impacted in some way by people who hurt them—sometimes intentionally, many times not—but those who do hurt us are usually significant people in our lives—like parents, caregivers, coaches and friends. The result of those hurts leaves us with deep wounds on the inside, broken but not beyond repair. Adams begins wondering more intently what landed him in prison. It is painfully obvious, as he meets others and their bad choices, that he has made a little “g” god of things that had no intrinsic value. We all do. As the stories unfold, documented in his journal, a common theme emerges. We all think we know better how to run our lives than Jesus does. Until we feel the consequences.

Recounting the sensation of standing before a judge awaiting sentencing, Adams reflects on what his choices cost not only him but also those around him. Adams notes an instance where his only desire is for wealth and validation. He considers whether those choices have a payoff or if he is just hiding behind his false self that he wears like a fig leaf, chasing down the myth that happiness comes from influence and wealth. Those hurt by his behavior express grace and truth in the face of great loss. What lies ahead? Much more than Adams predicts. Often in darkness, something amazingly beautiful begins to happen. We walk the journey of descent before we can enjoy the counterpart of ascent from the ashes of our brokenness. The refiner’s fire is a hot one. But it yields beautiful results. When Adams leaves Fairton and enters a world that looks a whole lot different than the one in the rearview mirror, he has a choice to make. Will he meld back into his pre-prison world, or will he seek another way?

What’s next for Adams is what’s next for all those willing to surrender to God’s calling in life. To His loving, grace-filled arms where all core-longings are met in a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. Stuff that used to define us no longer has mastery over us. When a person relives those memories in episodic moments of healing through Jesus, the memories just don’t hold the same power. Not forgotten but reinterpreted. The healing journey is a series of discoveries. Discoveries of the lies that we believe about ourselves AND God. They make their way into our psyche through very traumatic moments. However, our brains can be rewired to change neural pathways in a completely different direction. A direction that embraces love, joy, contentment and an acceptance of past events through the lens of Jesus. The lens of LOVE.