A Second Chance: Brian’s Story of Redemption 

By Caleb Mast – Prison Chaplain

I see the dark red diesel truck rolling through town regularly. The bed sports a large blue welder, among other equipment, stained with the look of regular use. I have to smile when I see this as I recall the memories of first meeting this hard-working young man in a pod of the county jail.

Sitting in the tight quarters of the chaplain’s office of the county jail, Brian Hayes* beamed as he described the revelation of how his past is being redeemed. His story as a veteran and the bold anarchist tattoo on the back of his hand helped explain the pain of his past and the hopelessness of life and its pursuit of goodness and beauty. “I’m now an anarchist for Christ,” he said. “This ink now represents me being sold out for Him and showing the world that there is a different Kingdom to live for.”

Brian was one of the few whom I did not see coming through the revolving door of the jail again. He joined a peer support group in town. He wholeheartedly put his life into finding accountability and integrity for himself, as well as using that as an encouragement for the men around him.

One day, Brian called me, “I did it!” He said, “I’ve cleared probation! Now, I can continue the journey of pursuing my daughter and trying to become the father I was always meant to be.” Tears filled my eyes, not so much because I had done something to change his life, but because Brian counted me as a friend that shared moments of the journey of his second chance with him.

Since then, I have had the privilege of playing softball with him in the local city league. It continues to be a pleasure to watch him be present in the community via church, as an entrepreneur, peer support, and an example to many other lives that also need a second chance.

Would you like to give someone like Brian a second chance? This Second Chance Month, your gift will go directly to helping someone in prison or jail who needs support. Visit NHM.us/second-chance to learn how you can get involved today!

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