I was driving alone down to Maple Lane to visit my friend Jerome for his 17th birthday. I began to reflect on our relational journey. I first met Jerome at the corner store on MLK and 19th; the next time I saw him was in Remann Hall. For whatever reason (perhaps the Holy Spirit?!), we got along really well at Remann Hall and would mutually express excitement to see each other. A few weeks later, Jerome was sent to Maple Lane School to serve the rest of his sentence.

Darrin Miller and I visited Jerome just days after his arrival to Maple Lane and he was pumped to see a couple of guys that were willing to go out of their way to visit him and show our care. We talked about life, girls, school, family, and Jesus. We also played an intense game of dominoes! He mentioned his birthday was soon arriving and I felt this would be a prime opportunity to really show him the love of Christ.

So there I was, driving down to Maple Lane, when all sorts of doubts began to flood into my mind. I was unable to bring anything as a gift because of security precautions; not even a candy bar. Would he be disappointed? What would I even say anyway when we got together, “Um…Happy Birthday…hope your doing well in jail since I saw you two weeks ago…bye…” What was I to say or do to maximize the visit? So many questions…so many doubts…

I arrived at Maple Lane with a number of emotions: excited to see him, nervous about what he would think of our time, anxious about potential awkward moments etc. Soon, all of those fears were washed away as I saw him and he sat down in front of me. We busted out the dominoes, caught up on life and shared a number of stories and laughs. Nearing the end of our two-and-a-half hour visit, Jerome said, “I will never forget this birthday. This is the best birthday I’ve ever had. I can see that God is really looking out for me.” The eyes of my heart were opened wide as I realized the importance of simple relationship. I had no candy, no Jordans, no cake, not even a card; just a visit to say “I’m thinking about you and I care.” Let us continue to make memories in the hearts of youth through love.

-Troy Bass