Beginning Tomorrow Today - By Timothy Sherman

Suddenly, I was surrounded by a group of about eight hag gard, hungry-looking men in what appeared to be prison clothes. They were standing in a chilly building that appeared to be a bar racks full of bunk beds. I became aware of a few other men also scat tered around the barracks sitting or lying on the bunk beds. There was quiet chatter inside and also the noise o f men outside. I was not very observant of the surroundings, but the atmosphere was uncom fortably cold, dingy, pale and lifeless. They were as startled as I was at my sudden appearance! By the expressions on their faces I could see that their minds and emotions were as challenged as mine. I had invaded their territory, their living space, and their miserable existence! Because of this it was up to me to initiate some kind of connection. They were much more on the defensive than I was, and yet they opened up within a few minutes as I made proclamations of Jesus Christ, the One in Whom they believed. I was on my knees praying in my cozy bedroom one second, and standing in a cold barracks the next! My eyes were wide open in dismay. I was surrounded by strangers in prison clothes, speaking a foreign language, all of them reacting to this longhaired, hippie looking American that was standing right in front of them. The sud den change caught me offguard, but fortunately a supernatural surge of peace and a deep knowing that this was a God thing came over me. I was filled with a calm and with an exciting strength and confi dence beyond mysel£ A defining destiny flowed through me beyond anything I had ever known before. I was glancing around and won dering what to say and do (if anything), having no panic or fear at all. The presence of the Spirit's power suddenly made me aware that my trust in God was greater than my fear of man. It filled me with purpose and faith in my emotions, and the heart to boldly declare the name of the Son of God. With a startled look on their faces these men broke out into very loud expressions using a language I did not understand. A cou ple of them stepped back prayerfully, as though seeing a vision, an 1 8