Free in Chains, Philippians - From Prison with Joy (Christian Lindbeck)

Restricted access -
chained to a wall -
I am free
and joyful!
God's great plan 
is in motion
because of my imprisonment -
can you not see it?
The weight of 
deprivation,
like a fulcrum,
raises God's Name 
even higher - 
isn't that great?
Without even trying,
I have infiltrated
Rome's Special Forces
with the message of Christ.
And even against
an atmosphere of animosity
to our faith,
most Christians here
have crept out of hiding.
Even those against me
still speak the name 
of Christ to discredit me -
and all advertising is good 
advertising. 
I couldn't ask for more!

Faithfulness under duress,
like rich compost,
results in much fruit.

In the eye of the storm:
rehearse truth and envision
the big picture,
then put faithfulness into
practice -
doing reps to build up
the muscles of endurance.
Celebrate what follows.