Saturday, November 11th, 2017
THE HOLY SPIRIT WENT TO JAIL TODAY
The Holy Spirit shoved me out the door early this afternoon and hauled me off to jail to visit with two inmates. I say it that way because that’s out of the comfort zone for my natural self. If you would have told me two years ago that I’d be going to jail to talk to drug addicts, thieves, and other criminals, I’d have said you’re crazy.
Anyway, the first inmate I talked to in the library was Jake. He’s so depressed he doesn’t care whether he lives or dies. One of the things that brings him down is that he has no money in his account to buy soap to wash with, shampoo, or detergent to clean his clothes. That leaves him with stuff bought out of an indigent fund that smells bad and makes his skin dry and his clothes scratchy. Not real high quality stuff. I told him I’d use the $20 in my God pocket to put into his account in the kiosk in the lobby when I left. He bowed his head and said, “Thank you God.” It moved me that he knew God had given him the gift, not me. I think he had a little more hope when he left than when he came in. I first met Jake when he came to the Lord during a Gideon session. Then he got out of jail, and now right back in again.
The next person I talked to was Kennis. He is facing more time than Jake, but he’s at peace because he trusts that God will take care of him no matter the outcome. He wants to be furloughed to Adult and Teen Challenge because he can’t kick his drug habit on his own. I asked him the following question: “Kennis, if I were a judge and offered to set you free with no probation and no other strings attached or furlough you to Adult and Teen Challenge, what would you do?”
He didn’t hesitate for even a second. “I’d say send me to Adult and Teen Challenge tomorrow. I need thirteen months of God and being around godly people. If I got out of jail, I’d be going back to the environment I came from, where all my friends were doing stuff that’s illegal. He told me about men who sell $500 worth of food stamps for $250 so they can go out and buy drugs. And those are the nicer guys. “I need to separate myself from my previous life so I can start anew when I get done with my thirteen months. I feel like a new person now and don’t want to get back into the same place I came from.”
Pray for these two guys – that Jake can learn to lean only on God and that Kennis is furloughed into a drug rehab facility. I may have been dragged there, but I came back joyful that God had seen fit to entrust me with the rabble of His kingdom. You might call me a somewhat reluctant servant.