Customer Reviews

Your Cry Has Been Heard

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It can take more than one trip to prison for an inmate to finally come to grips with how and why his life got so out of control that society had to lock him away. It takes months sometime years of anguish behind prison walls before one cries out to God for help.

You will find this happened in many of the stories, poems and messages in this book. Many of the writers bare their souls with a genuine love and concern for others, hoping their messages will prove God's grace, mercy and love.

God is still in the life-changing business. He searches for prisoners who are willing to open their hearts to allow Jesus to come in as Lord and Savior. It is at this time that they finally find God's true plan and purpose for their lives. It is then that God starts to change them into the people they only thought and dreamed they could be.

This book is a thrilling journey to the depths of despair and darkness in places most people will never go. However, you will find no matter how bad a person's life is, God's Light is waiting to shine brightly into those who accept His plan of salvation.

The lives of the authors of each treasured piece in this book are living proof of God's grace. Their experiences will bring you closer and closer to understanding God will transform a life anywhere, even in the loneliest of prison cells.

I encourage today's young generation to read this book to witness first-hand where the consequences of sin can lead to. Even though these inmate writer's lives are changed through the power of God, there is no reason to have to go to jail or prison to find the Truth.

Jesus Christ is everywhere and freely gives peace, joy and love to anyone who will call upon His name by repenting of sin, receiving forgiveness and allowing Him to be Lord, Savior and King.

YOUR CRY HAS BEEN HEARD is a wonderful collection of letters, and poems. A must read for those serving in the prison and jail ministry, as well as those incarcerated, or have a loved one that is. The stories will bring tears of sadness as well as tears of joy to your eyes. What some of these men and woman have gone through, and how God captured their hearts and transformed their lives, is nothing short of a miracle.

For those of you that serve in the pen pal ministry, you'll find God's reassuring words that your work is not in vain. Many of the stories tugged at my heart in a way I was lead to write some of the "authors" to let them know how much their words inspired me. And oh how profound many were.

I've enjoyed reading YOUR CRY HAS BEEN HEARD so much I've purchased several copies as gifts to those I write to in prison, as well as leaders in the prison and jail ministry. One woman has already used one of the stories as a teaching lesson at one of the jails she volunteers at. I've copied a story or two to send to someone I knew would be touched by the insightful words.

Within the pages of YOUR CRY HAS BEEN HEARD, there's a little something for everyone. Thanks Ms. Michael for putting this wonderful book, together.

This book is wonderful, especially if you have a friend or loved one who is currently behind bars. If there is such a thing as a "perfect coffee table book" for a prison inmate, this is it! It is actually a collection of essays, poems, letters, drawings, and memoirs written for the most part, by prisoners across the USA. Topics deal with substance abuse, violence, rage, and depression. The underlying theme which ties the authors and articles together is the hope of redemption through the promises of Jesus Christ. Some of the essays are written by pastors and family members of the incarcerated, and a few by victims. On the whole, this book is not so much an epistle as it is a perspective on the condition of our culture.

I bought this book to send as a gift to several friends who are currently incarcerated in various penitentiaries, hopefully as a source of solace and wisdom. (Most prisons do not allow inmates to receive packages from individuals, however you can order shipments directly from retailers such as Amazon, for delivery directly to the inmate if you use proper address procedures.) This book does not preach, or even offer specific advice - rather it presents stories which explain paradigms and maladies which are rampant across our culture, in which these prisoners express varying stages of recovery. Forgiveness is a common topic, and is described in a variety of firsthand accounts. Hope is discussed from an array of perspectives, ranging from death row inmates who have no hope of release, but still explain their basis for hope in the Resurrection despite admissions of guilt; to hope from the victims for the convict's conversion of faith.

Altogether, this book is a wonderful step toward the process of healing, for both the perpetrator and the victim. Additionally, these essays will provide fairly meaningful insight into the criminal psyche for those who want to approach an inmate, or released convict, with words of encouragement. The book does not overtly criticize the justice system, although evidence of that reality is clearly present in the expressions of several contributors. While some contributors are clearly further along the path than others, the author's arrangement displays the various pathways and stages of recovery without formatting a prescribed course. All of the paths described within this collection however, eventually lead to only one Savior.

Jesus said He came to seek the lost, rather than the righteous. This book shows that many of the lost are seeking Him as well - and finding the faith to hold on.