When The Rug Gets Pulled Under

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“Please…I need a mask now. I don’t want to house this inmate with others with him coughing like crazy,” I told one of my co-workers who was at the Infirmary while I was assigned at the prison’s Intake that night, screening arrestees, determining who was mentally and physically fit to stay in the jail that night.

She came after a what felt like forever 15 or 20 minutes. But she brought the wrong masks. She did not try to bring me the box of masks meant to be given for inmates. I wasn’t sure if she was not listening to  understood my instructions or not on the phone. But her help in a way, was not help at all. Her help made it worse because she wasted some precious time of bringing the wrong masks that with every minute that passed by, I started getting swamped with more newly-caught offenders. I saw the arresting officer with that coughing arrestee stood nearby, looking impatient with the waiting period she had to do.

I know many of my own family and friends who are being swamped with life’s trials. Seeing them standing on rugs that are being pulled from under them. Worst economy where my own 2 brothers lost their jobs, few friends and my son’s tennis coach facing possible lay-off, marriages failing and ending in divorces, financial difficulties up to the point of losing homes…Nothing is stable here in this world. Our stability only comes from knowing Christ. He is the Rock Who doesn’t change in this ever changing world.

“I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” ~ Luke 6:47-48 [NIV]



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