The sun slowly rose on the eastern skies. One by one, the imprisoned bodies woke up and gave themselves a stretch and yawned. Donning themselves with blue uniforms, they started getting ready to be sent for work in different areas of the prisons.
Lined up neatly in a row, by two’s, several marched ahead to go to the bakeries to bake the loaves of bread that would feed the entire jail population for the following days to come. Freshly-baked aroma filled the air and woke up those not working and who stayed behind in their cells.
Some went to the kitchen to make some meals, some of them to serve the custody and medical staff in the dining area where they could learn some etiquettes in taking the staff’s orders and the manner they would serve the ordered food. Others would start making big batches of food for those incarcerated. Hot oatmeals were stirred in a big pot, soups were boiling, chickens and vegetables were cut up for a particular menu and individual trays were readied that would go to different housing during “chow times” [meals].
The garage was busy with the inmates learning how to fix cars, painting them, restoring the engine parts.
The laundry area was noisy with the busy washing machines, full of heavy loads of prisoners’ uniforms. As the dryers joined in with the rhythmic din, some inmate workers were already folding some dried clothes, arranging them in neat piles on a big bin.
Some were outside, clearing the tall weeds, mowing the lawn, putting fertilizers on the beautiful landscape they had created days before.
Others could be found in the Bridge [central part of the jail] where they would maintain the cleanliness or help the staff with some errands within the facility.
Still, some others, feeling lazy would put in a sick call request, hoping that the facility nurse would give them a few days off from their work. There were so many lame excuses but they didn’t know that it would be hard to get a valid off-work status, as jail nurses were always keen in detecting their needs or symptoms noted.
Yes, these broken lives are kept busy and by rehabilitation, hopefully will make them useful when they are released. This process gives them a new life to stay away from society‘s illness: drugs, alcohol, rape, robberies and other forms of crimes. With the skills learned, they can become more productive.
As Christians, previously broken and restored by the saving power of Jesus, we must not stop, too and be useful for the Lord. I think, sometimes, it’s easier to make excuses from witnessing with those people around us needing to hear the Good News. But there is a continual “harvest” that waits to be reaped.
And yes, we do this witnessing because it produces a joy of working for Him. It is a joy to see when new believers come to Christ.
Jesus said, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, Who sent Me, and from finishing His work. Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One person plants and someone else harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest.” - John 4:34-38.
21 years old…You would think that he still had so much in store for his life. But he was there in front of me, complaining of upset stomach and having hallucinations. Running a mild fever, he was starting to have withdrawal symptoms from a heavy, daily use of heroin.
He didn’t tell the Intake Nurse [admitting nurse] his drug use history the day prior when he got booked in the jail. Tired and wanted to be housed immediately, he eluded all the questions by answering “no’s” to all queries.
“Please, help me!” he begged, slightly shaking.
I took his vital signs and initiated the opiate withdrawal protocol we had been using at work. I gave him a small white pill for nausea/vomiting, a pink pill to help him sleep, and 2 white pills to help lower the fever and help him with the pain.
“Thank you, nurse for saving me. Thank you for listening to all of my complaints and for giving me the medications,” he sincerely uttered.
“It’s okay. I hope that the medications will help you and it will be given still for the next 5 days so you don’t have to put a sick call request, not unless you think that the symptoms are getting worse,” I advised.
Picking up his pass from the Clinic deputy, he waved at me and uttered “thank you” again as his steps headed back out to the hallway. He was long gone and I was still hoping and praying for him that those medications would help him be comfortable and praying for the Lord to change that man’s heart.
“Thank You Lord!”, I thought.
“Thank You for listening to my complaints. Thank You that You didn’t get upset even though I sinned heavily. Thank You for giving me another chance. Thank You for saving me! Thank You for healing me and thank You for continuously working in me. Thank You for being there when I called on You.”
How about you?
Are you into drugs?
How about drinking alcohol?
Do you think it’s cool to use it everyday?
Do you know that it’s slowly killing you and messing up the way you think or reason out?
Do you really think that the friends you hang out with and who are doing these things are going to be there when you get in big trouble?
Are they really the kind of “friends” you want to be with? Or are you just pressured because you want to be let in, be accepted, be a part of a group?
God is here. Always near. For all of us. When you’re tired from all of this mess, and you want your life to turn around, call on Him…Get back on the right track. Don’t end up in the jail like that young man I saw. Do it now…while there is time….
“Listen, my child to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.” - Proverbs 1:8.
“My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” - Proverbs 1:10.
“My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.’ - Proverbs 2:1-5.
“For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:6.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5,6.
“Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:6,7.
Another Sunday! I always look forward to Sundays because of the many encouragement I find from many blogging for the Lord. If you want to know more about Spiritual Sundays, please visit this great site hosted by Sister Charlotte and Sister Ginger. Thank you both for always inspiring us to gather together, to encourage, to amuse, or to pray.
Filthy As Rags
Handcuffed, he came out of the police’s squad car. A nauseating stench followed him wherever he went. His unkempt appearance obviously told his condition of being homeless. With only a backpack crammed with a few things, it was the only belongings he carried, day after day.
The deputies took everything away and stuffed them into the big, plastic bag. He was brought into a cell where he could shower. His dirty clothes were stripped and stuffed into the big, plastic bag, together with the backpack. This would go to “Property” where they would store all the inmates’ belongings and be returned to them, once released. Everything he had was filthy, same with himself.
Cleansed from a bath he never had for a while, he was issued the orange jail uniform. If he remained dirty and housed with others, he would be prone to being attacked by other inmates if the lingering stench would make them angry. But now that he had showered and all cleaned up, it was safer to have him housed with the rest of the jail’s population.
Aren‘t we all filthy, too? Smudged by sins that are deserving of God’s anger. But because of His love, mercy and grace, He chose to offer the cleansing power that comes from the death of His own Son.
The only way we can be housed with God is when we choose to be cleansed by the “blood of the Lamb”.
Isaiah 64:5-7, Contemporary English Version:
5 You help all who gladly obey and do what you want, but sin makes you angry. Only by your help can we be saved.
6 We are unfit to worship you; each of our good deeds is merely a filthy rag. We dry up like leaves; our sins are storm winds sweeping us away.
7 No one worships in your name or remains faithful. You have turned your back on us and let our sins melt us away.
Our righteousness will not save us. It’s God’s righteousness that makes us clean. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ, the One Who can cleanse us and can bring us into God’s presence. There is no other way!
