Think Again

The Intake Nurse, getting swamped from loads of arriving arrestees at the prison's yards, asked for help last Friday night. The charge nurse sent me from the Clinic to Intake to help her out.

A loud-mouthed man walked in with the cops to be screened. As I motioned for him to sit down so I could start screening him, he started stating that he had a history of 3 heart attacks.

“You did?” I repeated. “And last time you had it?”

“About 2 years ago.” What he said next silenced the Intake Nurse and I.

“I know how to get what I want. Just go man down,” he said smiling. [Meaning fake a medical emergency if he wanted medications or even just to be brought to the hospital].

We believed that. Knowing that deep in the nurses’ hearts, even if inmates were just manipulating the system, we had no choice but to give our utmost care. We shouldn’t judge but just do the best to treat any symptoms.

I finished all the questions, preventing myself from saying something that would be inappropriate. But I couldn't help but gave him an advice, as he got up to be booked:

“Don’t be so sure that they won’t know you’re faking a man down. When medical staff determines that it was fake, you will get in a deeper trouble.”

“Oh no! I won’t,” he answered with a wide grin. Deep inside, I knew he didn’t mean that. Because he knew what to do whenever he wanted something. He was in and out of the prison system that he learned many things that went on.

But one thing he didn’t know. In my charting as I opened a medical chart for him, I put an “alert” by writing what he just told me:

“Inmate stated that ‘It’s easy to get what he wants. Just go man down!”

Because when that time comes, medical staff would be more ready when this very same man would fake an emergency or not. We might not know. But the vital signs do not lie. He might fake a chest pain. But the EKG readings won’t lie. Xrays result would not lie.

He thought he was smart. He thought he could outsmart the medical staff. I was hoping he took me seriously and would think again.

Think again…That‘s what we must do when we evaluate our faith or belief in God. We can‘t outsmart Him. “For His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.” [Isaiah 55:8,9]. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our limitations. He sees everything. But He loves us and cares so much for us that even though He knows what‘s going on in our lives, He wants us to still seek Him and lay out everything on His feet. For He wants to help us as we submit ourselves in prayers, with a repentant heart, with a broken spirit. If we are full of pride, how can His love and grace fill us? We need to be empty in order for God to fill us. We need to show our reverential fear to God.

We must stop living a self-centered life. We must stop believing we are god or we have other gods that can’t help us. [Psalm 14:1 - “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” -NIV].

Galatians 6:7 - “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows”. -NIV

Think again…Are we truly smart or actually “fools”?

20 comments:

  1. Our God is an awesome God and thankfully if we cry a false man down in one area because we are really man down in another area, God will call this out in each of us to walk in truth and kindness and love. Have a week filled with love, Cherie

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  2. Once again, wonderful post my friend.

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  3. I hope God does not see me or my worship as fake.

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  4. When we are surrendered, and give it all to Him, we receive ALL of Him in return :) Good post!

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  5. THINK AGAIN!! Yes, each of us need to evaluate "all" our actions according to what HE would have us do or not do and use the brain HE gave us to make wise choices..not manipulative ones.
    Blessings, andrea

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  6. Amen! A few days ago the Lord impressed in me to constantly check within us if we are still in faith.

    Search us O God and know our hearts..

    Beautiful post and message for today.
    Thank you for sharing.
    God bless my friend.

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  7. Wonderfully written as always Rosel. I have missed coming by. Business has picked up (yay!) and put me behind if blog visiting.

    Now I'm going to see what else I missed over here. :)

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  8. Such a good post, bless you sis.

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  9. For years I thought I could keep my heart hidden from the Lord but I was only fooling myself.

    Your post is where my heart was directed this morning. Search me, Oh Lord

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  10. What a post! But it is so true. Like someone said~ Out in the prison world they learn the ropes. But God will bless you. I write to several inmates that have turned their life around and ar now during a work as a inmate for the Lord. Let's keep crossing paths.

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  11. I'm so grateful that God does indeed truly know me, that I can't pretend with Him; yet He still loves me anyway! It's His great love that draws me to Him, that creates the desire within me to live my life His way.

    BTW I adored your nurse sentiment: "even if inmates were just manipulating the system, we had no choice but to give our utmost care. We shouldn’t judge but just do the best to treat any symptoms". Countless times I've had to work with staff regarding this issue; so to read the thoughts of a good nurse encourages my heart.

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  12. “For His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.” [Isaiah 55:8,9]


    The Lord's knows our hearts. And The Lord know the hurts of those who are not authentic. But they don't last long. I remember the first church I went to when I got "saved" in 2001 was a cult, the pastor used and abused tithes, slept with the women in church, etc. After a couple of my friends eyes were open and we left, we prayed and fasted for the Lord to help the others. 8 months later the church was gone. I thank you for this post because, not everything is gravy in church and with the Lord, it's a battle.
    "Many will come in HIS name to deceive"
    Karina

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  13. It's true - it is about the heart and that is what God sees not just our outward actions. May we love in all sincerity. Eph 6:24

    Rachel

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  14. Thanks for that post, Dear. Thank God for His love, mercy and grace. Blessings ~

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  15. Each & every day I am so truly thankful that His ways are not my ways!!! It is so much easier to remember that nothing is hidden from Him, isn't it? That He knows our every thought before we think it?

    And yes, you are right - Josh Wilson is the singer who pulled out his guitar at that airport by the way!
    Wylie

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  16. Amen! thank God that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Thank God that we are not God. If so, mankind would have been annihilated by now! :)

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  17. I wonder how many people think they're fooling God? He sees all, and no 'man down' excuse will fool Him. Why do some people insist on playing games...

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  18. Proverbs 21:2
    All a man's ways seem right to him,
    but the LORD weighs the heart.

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  19. Amen dear sister and well said!!!!

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  20. By the way I really like your blog makeover colors. Soft and warm. Blessings!!

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

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