Winning the Lottery

Last week was an emotional roller coaster. I was selected to serve on a jury for a child sex abuse case. I will share in a future post about the jury duty, but the week made me think about Ken Tay Lee.

I met Ken Tay Lee 10 years ago when I did a weekend prison ministry. Ken Tay Lee was who I was matched up with over the weekend. He was 15 years old and a convicted murderer. Ken T ay Lee will never get out of jail. He was sentenced at age13 to Life With-Out Parole. So when he walked into the room I was expecting a thug. I was looking for this hardened criminal but what I saw was a baby! He looked like every teenager that walked into my YMCA every day.

When he first walked over to me and we introduced ourselves, he asked me the question, “Do you think I am going to hell?” I sat silent for a few seconds and then responded, “I’m not sure. What do you think?” He looked at me and smiled, “Jeremiah 29:11. The Lord has plans for me. Maybe I am supposed to lead people to Christ while I am in here.” I just sat there in amazement. I am supposed to be here to minister to this kid and in the first 15 minutes he is witnessing to me.

Over that weekend we had a birthday party for him. He squeezed my hand and cried as he prayed because he had never had a birthday party. How do you get to 15 and never have a birthday party?

Over that weekend I figured out something. I think Warren Buffet calls it the “ovarian lottery.” Ken Tay Lee is where he is today and I am where I am today because he was born into his neighborhood and I was born into mine. He never had anyone to tell him to brush his teeth, come in for dinner, do your homework or don’t wear stripes with checks. He doesn’t even have anyone who cares he’s in prison.

Last week it became a reminder that when I was born 47 years ago, I won the lottery. In this season of thankfulness my heart aches for the children like Ken Tay Lee. My heart aches for the kids that sleep in houses that are cold. Kids that wake up to a refrigerator that is empty. Kids that go to bed without someone saying good night and I love you.  

Over the next few weeks, when I see that rough looking kid at the mall, I am not going to look away. I am going to hold the door for them, give them a smile and wish them a Merry Christmas. They might just be saying a prayer that even I can answer!