“Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” – 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were.” – Psalm 39:12 (NIV)
“And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." – 1 Peter 1:17 (NLT)
“I’ll go,” I told the Charge Nurse to remain in the Clinic as there were only the two of us before the night shift started. We just heard a call from the radio, a unit whose deputies had to extract a combative inmate from his cell with force. When injuries were present, nurses had to be there.
I was starting to feel hot as I felt my sweat emerged from my forehead from the long walk it was taking me in the long corridor. The unit’s heavy metal door was open. Past on my right side where they housed those inmates on discipline alone, I saw the flooded floor and bunches of towels and blankets thrown on the floor to attempt to dry the place. As I looked straight ahead, I saw the bloodied shirt of an inmate whose back was facing me. He was surrounded by so many deputies, clothed in heavy riot gear. Their faces I couldn’t see as they wore the helmets with only the visor visible and only their eyes and noses were seen. Wearing thick pads around them, they were all surrounding the obviously very combative inmate strapped on a safety chair. I thought….If I wasn’t familiar with the things that went on in the prison, those deputies in riot gears looked like aliens with huge and thick pads, and faces covered with helmets. My thought was suddenly interrupted…With the lingering fume from the pepper spray that was deployed to paralyze that inmate who was constantly yelling.
I saw his white shirt all bloodied. The source…From a deep gash that was obscured by a spit mask the deputies had put over his head. He refused to be treated. He wouldn’t allow me to touch and assess his injury. I saw a bump protruding from the right side of his head. It was not a hard decision. With his odd behavior, it seemed like he was under the influence of “something” and that his gash might need some suturing. I gave the paper works to Custody as I turned around, toting my emergency bag on my shoulder. I saw the deputies wearing heavy gear easing up a bit after they secured the inmate on that safety chair. One took off his mask and I knew him immediately. From one of the units when I also responded to a “mandown” long ago. His sweats dripping on his face. He gave a big sigh.
“Are you guys, okay?” I asked the two of them who happened to go out with me in the corridor.
“Yeah,” a tired response echoed in the silent hallway.
“Take care,” I added.
“Thank you,” they softly returned.
I had walked past them as I was wearing a lighter clothing perhaps… Oh…What a sight it would be for those who were not familiar with such incidents! I knew many people believed in “aliens”. I did, too. Except I didn’t need to look up in the sky and search for unfamiliar flying saucers and objects or weird lights…
I see “aliens” everywhere. When I hear human beings talk about “following Christ” or they are “born-again Christians”. I see “aliens” who show no favor to rich ones over the poor. I see “aliens” when they weep over sins knowing they contaminate their spirits and who do not hesitate to repent to Jesus. Then, work, though hard, to not fall again with the same acts believing the strength He gives. I see “aliens” who believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day and ascended to heaven. I see “aliens” who truly walk…in Spirit and Truth…Yes…These “aliens” are everywhere. Actually, I do see some lights…Little lights they shine. Reflections from the Light of the World…
“Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” – 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” - 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family.” – Ephesians 2:19 (NLT)
Example of "cell extraction" when inmates defy authorities to go out of their cells or if they are being combative to them:
