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Where's Your Daddy?

Album: Gold Audio 12: At Home and Abroad

Episode: 174

Lesson/Theme: Having a parent in prison.

Bible Verse: Matthew 25:31-46

Characters: Connie, Whit, Tom

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer: Dave Arnold

Original Air Date: November 30, 1991

Last Air Date: December 4, 2008

Description:
Whit and Connie are preparing a space for the Christmas tree inside Whit’s End. They look out the window and notice a woman sitting on a park bench under a tree. She’s been sitting there for some time, and now she’s crying. Whit investigates and discovers that the woman’s name is Julie Myers. She and her children, Eric and Brooke, moved to Odyssey a few weeks ago, and Julie hasn’t been able to find a job. So Whit promptly offers her one. Later, Tom brings a fresh tree in from his farm, which they all set up and decorate with envelopes from the Angel Tree Project. In the envelopes are the names of families who have a parent in prison. People from churches around Odyssey will come in, pick up an envelope, and help that family by giving clothing and toys. Later, Whit and Tom discover that the Myers family is a candidate for such help: Julie’s husband, Ernie, is in prison. Whit, Connie, and especially Tom resolve to help the Myers. Tom visits Ernie in prison and studies the Bible with him, unbeknownst to the rest of the family. Meanwhile, Eric is bitter about his dad and thinks that no one will be willing to help them. But Christmas morning proves Eric wrong. Brooke gets a new doll, Eric gets a bicycle, and Julie gets from Ernie the best present of all: A letter saying Ernie has become a Christian. After hearing this news, Julie decides to offer the kids a present of her own: a visit to their dad. And while they have nothing to give him, Tom believes that somehow their joy will be enough.

Questions:
Why didn’t anybody except Whit want to hire Julie Myers? Why didn’t Whit have a problem with it? Why was Eric so skeptical of Whit, Tom, and Connie? Does your church have a prison visitation program or an Angel Tree project? If so, how can you participate?