The Daily Grind with Matt Clarke

Not Soon Forgotten

Written by Matt Clarke | March 5, 2026

The tremors were so powerful that the entire prison shook to the point of doors opening and chains falling off the prisoners. Two of these prisoners, Paul and Silas, had been stripped and severely beaten with wooden rods the day before for essentially no crime at all, other than irritating a local businessman who, in turn, incited a mob.

When the earthquake hit, and the Jailer woke up to find all of the doors opened, he freaked out in fear of a massive jail break. Much to his surprise, however, he found Paul, Silas, and all of the prisoners just hanging out, right where they were supposed to be. 

There in the dark inner dungeon of the prison, with men who were mistreated, beaten, bloodied, cold, and jailed for no reason, love won the day as Paul and Silas shared Christ with the terrified Jailer. His response? Hospitality.

"Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God." (Acts 16:33-34)

Personal connection and hospitality are the secret sauce to remarkable results.   

When the earthquake hit, it fast-tracked the prisoner's release. But instead, they used the moment to build a relationship with the jailer, not to transact their way out of there. They could have just stamped their passport and moved on quickly, but would have missed the opportunity to change a life. Think about that in terms of available technology today. When you can leverage it to remove the unpleasant prison of the mundane to free you up to spend more time in meaningful connection with other humans, lives can be transformed.

It's the service they don't expect that leaves people better for the encounter, and a positive impression that pays exponential dividends over time. The Jailer took the time to say thank you and tend to the wounds of his prisoners. That by itself was unheard of, but then he went next level and brought them to his own house and gave them a meal. That is hospitality, and his entire household was saved because of it.

Are you using technology to fast-track your way to check a box or connect with a heart? Are you looking for ways to care for people in such memorable ways that their wounds are tended to and leave them with unexpected nourishment?

When freed from the prison of the mundane or unpleasant, use that freedom to engage deeper with people. When you do, you will discover problems that need solving and ways you can have an impact that won't soon be forgotten.   
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