Decisions

The smell of alcohol reeked all over the four corners of our tiny Nurse’s clinic in this particular unit. The rotating wall fan helped a little bit to scatter the intoxicating and repugnant smell as I started assessing one inmate sitting on the chair. The deputy was right next to me, listening intently to the outcome of my observation.

“I didn’t have anything, Ma’am. And I’m not on any medications either,” stated the man with a slight slurred speech.

He was obviously drunk and I just made sure that his vital signs were stable and that there were no problems over-all with his neurologic status. My notes would be for record-keeping.

“Next!” I yelled to the other inmate [the first man’s cell mate] as I motioned for the first inmate to leave the room and wait for the deputy outside this clinic.

The second inmate’s eyes were blood-shot, his steps wobbly as he tried to come in and make his way through the door. He denied taking anything intoxicating, too. I noted my observation, too on him. He was just plain drunk like the other man.

The deputy finally told me what really happened. He was making his usual logs - of checking every cell every hour and on that particular time, he noticed these inmates flushed something down the toilet. He observed that they were acting funny and trying to be silly. And he smelled the alcohol whiffed past his nostrils as he stood by their particular cell.

In the meantime that the deputy was conversing with me, these inmates were still having a good time laughing outside the Nurse’s clinic. They didn’t think that anything would happen to them. Little did they know, they would be in a lot of trouble when they sobered up. They were definitely caught intoxicated with “pruno”. And because they did it, there would be an additional time with their sentence when their latest violation of the jail’s rules would be added to their other charge or charges. They were laughing then, but I was wondering if they would still be laughing once they became more aware of what they were caught for.

In our lives, we make decisions, too that we don’t think of any possible consequences after doing so. Even with little, but wrong decisions, the truth is: it still leads to mistakes. Making the right decisions every day start with even the little choice we have to make. Then, we can be more prepared when the need to make bigger decisions come.

The wisdom or ability to make the right choices, either in small or big matters, is a gift from God. Understanding this makes us more willing to include God with our decision-making.
If we include God in all of our decisions, what can go wrong?

Have you asked God to help you with today’s decisions?

23 comments:

  1. This is so true. At the end of the day and from experience, it's not worth ignoring God's word, and doing what we want to do. I guarantee it, if you don't pay for it now, you will pay for it later.

    This is the time like never before to include God on all of our plans and decision making to make sure it's His will and pleasing in His sight.

    Thanks so much for sharing. I really needed to read this today. Blessings to you!! Happy Sunday!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you sister Toia for coming by. Like what Proverbs 3:6 says, "Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths." God bless you, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why would we want it any other way! Great post, Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sister Daveda: "Amen! There is no other way!!!"

    ReplyDelete
  5. WOW! Where did they get the alcohol from? Thanks for another very moving post! I never get tired of reading what you write.

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well my friend. I have learned something new. I have never heard of Pruno and I looked at the explanation/definition and read it to my husband. Very interesting.

    You lead an interesting life.

    Love,
    Beth

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sister Kat: They have a way of hiding fruits and are, mostly from apples, and are able to ferment them to make wine after a while. There are so many smart ones but sadly, they use the talent to do wrong things.

    Sister Beth: I'm glad I didn't forget to link the word to what it means. It's a way of letting you guys see things through what I see in this part of the world.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I always learn something at your place. The message is for all of us though. We will reap what we sow. Now I'm going to research Pruno like Beth did.

    Love you, Sis. Have a great Sunday.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow Rosel,
    God has definitely gifted you to be able to do what you do. Your every day is one adventure in God after another. Well, I guess all of us have one adventure in God after another. But, I can not imagine having your adventures myself. :)
    Christy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sister Mary: It's interesting to know what pruno is, as if there is some kind of winery going on inside these prison cells.

    Sister Christy: God is awesome in giving us different talents because like you, I can't see myself being something else than what I do now. And in all of these, may He be the One glorified!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hmmm that was an education and I added a new word to my vocabulary..pruno!

    I was such an impulsive young woman and , though I was a Christian, I often made decisions that were not the right ones and then just expected God to tag along.

    Thanks for the reminder!

    ReplyDelete
  12. We must have GOD in control of all our decisions. Thank you for praying for me. I have some urgent decisions I am faced with right now...please pray for me. Thank you, andrea

    ReplyDelete
  13. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest . . . ." Proverbs 24:33

    "Your danger and mine is not that we become criminals, but rather that we become respectable, decent, commonplace, mediocre Christians. The twentieth-century temptations that really sap our spiritual power are the television, banana cream pie, the easy chair and the credit card. The Christian wins or loses in those seemingly innocent little moments of decision. Lord, make my life a miracle!"

    ReplyDelete
  14. Such a wonderful post, thanks for your daily teachings. I love you my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sister Cynthia, Brother Ike: I learned a lot of jargon in the jail and "pruno" was one of them. It's really helpful to be reminded that we have to include God with everyday decisions because even if we're Christians, we still fall into that trap of doing things by our own strength. Like what bro. Ike said, temptations are always around us that easily takes away what we should be guarding.

    Sister Andrea: Thank you that you had updated us with those requests. I'm praying with you. I'm glad you had made it safely back to your home.

    Sister Denise: Let's give our thanks to our Lord Who reminds us by guiding us and helping us learn from each other's encouragement.

    God bless you all.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love how you see lessons from God in the ordinary things of life. And then you step out and share them with us. Alleluia! We are blessed.

    Pruno is new to me. My husband spends a couple weekends a year in prison (including this coming weekend) serving at Brothers in Blue ministry weekends. He's learned about Gak (sp?) and how to light a cigarette with a battery. But Pruno is new.

    God bless you, sister, for your messages here.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sister Jennifer: "Gak" is new to me but inmates form their own "lingo" anyway, especially if they are hiding things. There are so many unfamiliar terms to us, who are not there. God bless your husband in being a part of these precious "prison ministries". Because of these ministries, a lot of "hopeless lives" come alive because of the Lord's salvation. And it's amazing when some of them are turned around and renewed by God's grace! To God be the glory always. God bless sister.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your thoughtfulness is a gift and blessing I was graced with today.
    And its so true that the ability to make the right decision is a gift from God.
    I sometimes wonder if I have taken the right path..
    Thank you for your prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you my sister in Christ for sharing so much of life with me. You are where God has set you. So blessed to know you my friend. You inspire me each day. Thank you for encouraging me; our husbands do have dangerous jobs. God has pulled my guy through so much! We are humbly grateful for HIS protection! Love you,
    Bren

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sister Jenjen: As long as you are walking in the path that leads to the Lord, then you surely took that right path! And He leads us so we won't get lost. God bless sister.

    Sister Bren: Amen! God is good! All the time...Love and blessings to you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm going to echo Beth and say that you have a very interesting life. This was a great post. But then again, I never expect anything else from you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Brother Billy: I am encouraged by your kind words, humbled by a great writer himself. God bless. Glory belongs to the Lord!

    ReplyDelete

"Faith is taking the first step even if you don't see the whole staircase..."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

All posts/composed songs copyright by RCUBEs.



Encouragers

GotQuestions?org

Friends