Dan Brendsel is the Editorial Coordinator at Desiring God.

We recently received a testimony from a friend of DG who ministers to women at an Ohio county jail. She told us about her relationship with Julie.

When Julie began attending a weekly Bible study at the jail, she was a quiet, stony woman filled with anger, distrust, and doubt that the Bible study or the people ministering at it had anything to offer her. Our friend gave Julie a copy of Don't Waste Your Life and continually welcomed her to the study. Over the course of a few weeks, Julie, by God's gracious and gentle hand, began to soften. She began interacting more in the study, she encouraged her cell-mate to attend, she read Scripture and asked questions. Three weeks after their initial contact, Julie spoke in private with our friend.

"I don't know if I can get this out," tears now rolling down her face. "I walked with God 30 years ago..." Long pause. "This book was for me! You came here for me! I have lived my entire life in sin. Anger and bitterness is all that I have known. I just wanted to thank you for coming here."

Julie was released from prison two days later, saying she was going home, had surrendered her life to Jesus, and was planning with her husband to attend church. Our friend learned that ten days later Julie, at age 44, passed away unexpectedly. She died one month to the day from first receiving love from one of God's servants and hearing the call to an unwasted life. She placed her faith in Jesus, treasuring him above everything else and submitting to him as the Lord of her life, and has now entered into eternal and infinite joy in God's presence.