Disrespectful and Lying Tongue

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

 – Matthew 15:18-20 (ESV)

“What?” I asked the acting charge nurse. “He’s coming down now?”

I went on a short break and the Charge Nurse had advised me and the other nurse that there were two inmates requesting to be seen. As soon as I heard the last name, it sounded so familiar. No wonder, it was the same name that the unit had called about the precious day. He committed drug abuse until it happened. He was arrested for possession of illegal substances. Maybe he got addicted to them because of his complaints of chronic pain. But when the medication nurses had caught him hiding the pills or the prescribed narcotics by our jail doctor to help him with his pain, maybe he wasn’t having true pain after all.

He had to pay for that action. The jail doctor discontinued his narcotics and was given a lesser strength medications that would still help him with pain control. He had been angry ever since and had complained of his symptoms becoming severe. One thing he didn’t know, the medical staff would at least observe something obvious if there was really something wrong with him.

“Oh man,” I sighed. “I wished I was here when the unit called because I wouldn’t let him come down here,” I told the Charge Nurse.

Limping and his mobility aided with a jail-issued wooden cane, he complained of his pain and dizziness being ignored. I would have listened to him but he added, “Aren’t they going to give me my “(name of narcotics)”?

I barely was trying to explain without putting him to shame, he kept cutting me off.

“Mr. E!” I yelled. “Let me speak! How can we understand each other when you are talking at the same time as I am?” The Infirmary Deputy was next to me, standing on guard if he would attempt any disrespectful words or actions. He kept yelling in angry tone but stayed careful, swaying his ID card with previous medications sticker taped on it and kept yelling, demanding for them.

Until he caught glimpses of our 2 medication nurses who both had caught him hiding the pills every time back then and who knew that he lied to exacerbate his symptoms in order to gain those narcotics back.

“Not until you see the doctor again, which is in the morning, no one can give you the medications you are requesting!” I ended the conversation and motioned for him to go back to his unit.

He was very upset but all he did was traced back his footsteps back to his cell.

I made sure his shadow had long disappeared before I spoke to my co-workers, “His unit was way far from our Clinic. If he was having trouble walking, he wouldn’t make it this far.” He got in trouble from their unit deputy for his argumentative behavior so he was written up for disrespecting staff.

Every one knew, it was always those simple things to look out for, and to listen to their complaints. How else can you catch a “lying tongue” but from the words they say? How else can you determine their true intentions but to observe their actions for actions speak louder than words, too.

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” – Proverbs 19:9 (ESV)

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” – Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV)

“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him”

- 1 John 2:4 (ESV)

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” –John 8:44 (ESV)

Watch how disrespectful this inmate was to a judge....I often wonder, how am I acting and speaking in front of the "Judge"?