Wednesday, August 8th, 2018
Do you remember my telling you about an inmate I mentored who came out of Stillwater Prison into a half-way house where he was under something called ISR (intensive supervised release). They monitored when he went out and where he went and when he came back. He told me, “I can’t handle this. I’d just as soon be back in prison,” to which I replied, “But in prison you were in a 23-hour lock down protocol.” That made sense to me but not to him. After a few phone calls trying to get him to hang in there, he walked. That’s when I lost touch with him. I didn’t know whether he was dead or alive, given that he could be violent when he was drunk.
It was my turn last Sunday afternoon at the Wright County Jail for the weekly Gideon Bible study, and there was Aaron. I met with him the next day 1-1. He had not just walked away once but twice. He had gone back to Stillwater, served some more time, was put on ISR again, walked again, and violated his probation by drinking and making a public nuisance of himself. He came back to Wright County because he had fewer than 90 days to serve. In October, he’ll be set free without probation.
I haven’t had a mentee before who can best be described as a hopeless case. But I don’t believe God has given up on Aaron, even though the poor guy has given up on himself. When I asked him how when he got out this time he was going to be any different, He said, “I don’t know.” When I asked if he thought he could go straight, he said, “I don’t think so.” And yet Aaron loves the Lord, he really does. But he just can’t help himself.
I’ll be meeting with Aaron once a week through October. We’re going to study the gospel of John together in a rather unique way where he reads, meditates, and prays Scripture. In the world of this world, Aaron turning around is impossible. But in God’s world anything is possible. Please pray that Aaron can totally surrender to Jesus and be addicted to Him instead of alcohol. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to sweep over him. Please pray for me that the Holy Spirit shows me a way to break through Aaron’s hopelessness.
Though all reason says that Aaron will be a dedicated drunk for the rest of his life (he’s in his mid-40s now), I hold out hope that Jesus can pull him out of the mire, as I say to myself, “If Aaron comes out of this, then I’ll see first hand a miracle of reconciliation.” And if he doesn’t, he doesn’t, and my life and his will go on. But, Oh, how I pray to see that miracle and play whatever small role I can in it.
Stay tuned.
August 8th, 2018 at 2:50 am
I will be praying for Aaron and you.