Before her death, Judy Lawson became a spiritual Mother of scores of hardened criminals. "On her last Mother’s Day," according to Bill Myers, "she received 40 Mother’s Day cards from men whose life she touched." Her prison ministry began eighteen months after her son was brutally murdered. She knew it was God’s will for her to forgive the murderer, and she had spoken the words, but she continued to harbor ill will toward the man who robbed her of her son. She had agreed to never say "no" to God, so when she heard Him saying, "I want you to love the man who killed your son" she had no choice but to fight the natural rage boiling up and to practice Christian love and forgiveness.
While visiting a prison to support a friend at a parole hearing, she came face-to-face with the murderer. She fought God, but soon, in faith gave in to His leading to speak to the man. "Richard," she said, "my name is Judy Lawson--you murdered my son and I want you to know that I love you and I forgive you."
The man began sobbing and the prison guards removed her
...