Rejected...Denied...

“But why won’t you give me an extra towel that I can roll so I can lift my head up? I know I need another one. I saw the doctor wrote it down,” said an annoyed male inmate who just returned from the county’s hospital after being treated for his right eye that was swollen and had bled in the white part of his eye. He was fighting against the cop so he got hit with an object on that particular eye when he was being arrested.

“Sir, I’m not going to keep repeating myself here. I already told you and this is the third time. I already had given you a permission to use an extra towel and that’s mainly to be used as a cold compress for your eye to prevent swelling,” I firmly answered.

“But…”

“Sir?”

“Just because you heard from other inmates what they got, doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. It depends on your injury and if there is no order from the doctor, nurses can’t give it to you. I told you earlier, you would be seen by our jail doctor for a follow-up. Then, go ahead and tell him so if he feels like you need it, he will write an order.”

“They didn’t even order pain meds but I’m giving you some of what I’m allowed to give you so you can be comfortable,” I added.

“I don’t understand. I had an injury like others…I know it’s going to help….”he mumble. Then...:

“Stop it! That’s enough!” a loud remark cut through from the deputy standing nearby.

“She was so nice with you yet you won’t listen. Not all your requests are going to be given. She kept explaining but it’s not sinking in your brain!” he yelled.

“Now, you can go back to your unit!” he commanded.

He looked at me. With head bowed low, he briefly glanced at me and uttered, “I’m sorry, Ma’am. Sorry about that. And thank you so much for giving my eye medications and pain medications.”

“I hope you feel better. Don’t rub your eyes and you can also request to be seen by us if you feel that it’s not improving after using the medications,” I reassured him that his behavior did not bother me.

I knew it was frustrating for him not to get what he wanted. But issuing things even extra towels could be used by these inmates to make something that they could think of. They had all the time to improvise to make things like weapons or shanks. Or if suicidal, could be used to harm even their own selves. Just because he had an eye injury did not mean he would get what he wanted and asked for.

Do you know the other side of Jesus? He exposed those people who sounded religious but had no personal relationship with him. On “judgment day”, only our relationship with Christ and our obedience to him will matter. Some will be denied to be let in into His Kingdom. Some will be rejected.

“21 Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord’, but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.” ~ Matthew 7:21-23