by the Night Writer
Miles from home. Your foundation shaken. Your family at risk. Your past a curse, your future uncertain. Enemies await.
And yet, hope grows.
For the last six months or so I’ve been making the hour-long drive down to the Red Wing Correctional Center a couple of times a month. While it is primarily a juvenile facility they have one building for adult males, and I go to visit with the guys and conduct informal chapel services (actually more of a discussion). I never know what to expect: sometimes 10 guys will sign up in advance to attend chapel and then only three will actually show; other times three will sign up and 10 guys will turn up. There are a few “regulars” who I have gotten to know and a couple of these guys will be released in the next month or so. I was thinking about these guys as I prepared for last Sunday’s visit and my mind turned to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah is a first-person account of a man returning from captivity in Persia to a ruined Jerusalem and how he was led by God to restore the city and the hope of the people there. He was welcomed by some, and there were some who were not so happy to see him return, and the men rebuilt the walls and their homes with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. There are a lot of parallels in the book of Nehemiah for men preparing to return to their home after a period of captivity. These range from Nehemiah’s reaction in Chapter 1 to the news from home (not just that he prayed, but what he prayed), to the plots of his enemies and resistance from his own people, to the way he went about his business, to the ultimate success of his mission and restoration of “his people.”
During our discussion I shared the part in the scripture where prominent people and officials in the area — who were presumably finding the present situation much to their advantage — were not pleased to see that “a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.” (Chapter 2:10). As I read that I was moved to look around the table to each man, and one by one say, “they were not pleased to see that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Jerry…of Tim…of George…” and so on. At first I only meant to say it to one or two guys, but as I saw each reaction I simply had to go around the table. Physically, each man twitched or rocked back or shivered when I spoke to him and each face shifted…not in anger, but in something else that shifted the hard planes and tight jaws, loosening them as their eyes unavoidably focused on some spot ten feet behind me. Even the ones I came to last in the circle, who knew it was coming, had the same reaction. One young man, B., looked as if he might even be ill.
B. and I have talked a couple of times about his situation and the mistakes he’s made; not the ones that landed him in Red Wing (I don’t know, and don’t want to know why any of the men are there) but in relationships. He has a young infant son who he’s barely seen. After the meeting we spoke one-on-one for a few minutes. B.’s going home soon and knows he’s going to have trouble with the family of the mother of his child. Previously we’d talked about love being wanting the best for someone else’s life even if it cost you something and how his actions didn’t always put “best for her” in first place. I asked him about his son: “Do you love him?”
“Yes, with everthing that I have.”
“Why? How can you love someone you hardly know when he can’t do a thing to benefit you right now?”
“I don’t know. I just know that I want to protect him, be there for him.”
“That’s because love is a choice you make, it isn’t a feeling,” I said. “If you go by your feelings you’ll change your mind every day. If you remember your decision and hold on to that, you can change the way you act, even the way you make decisions.” He nodded, reset his jaw.
We spoke a little longer about things we’d talked about before, about actions, not words, showing that there’s been true change and about outliving your mistakes one day at a time. I told him a true story of how I’ve seen that happen very close to me, and it appeared to give him confidence. B. may be gone before I return. He extended his hand, thanked me for coming and then said, “…and thanks for, you know, taking an interest in my life.”
During the group discussion the men and I had also talked about how Nehemiah had organized the reconstruction and defense of the city, about how he had instructed the men to “rally to the sound of the horn” when there was trouble at some spot, and how each man worked with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. Today, however, for these men going home, fighting with a weapon is a sure ticket back to Red Wing or someplace worse. We shifted then, to the scriptures that say, “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (2 Cor 10:4) and that we “wrestle not against flesh and blood” and what our true weapons and defenses are (Eph 6:11-18). I suggested that if our weapons are not carnal then likely our tools are not, either, and that they can trust the word of God (the sword of the spirit) and as they do so, God will be using his trowel to patch and restore the walls and replaster the gaps in their lives.
Finally we talked about each of them finding a place to fellowship with believers, where you can stand with other people; people you can trust to “rally to the sound of the horn” when you are in trouble and people who could expect you to rally, in turn, when needed. Driving home I thought about that a lot, and about how I didn’t have to “go to prison” to learn that lesson, but how doing so really helped me to appreciate it.
Prison visits ,at first a little intimidating ,can, in our limited experience, be very rewarding.One feels blest to have been. We can really identify with your last paragraph.It’s so important for a released prisoner to be amongst those who will encourage him to live an upright life and not to return to the old ways which landed him in prison in the first place.We have a wonderful friend who has devoted his life to helping and encouraging those released from prison and actually, as we write, is hosting a meal for the less fortunate including some prisoners. Thank you for what you are doing in Prison ministry.Becky and Chris
Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your website is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you¦ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched everywhere and just couldn’t come across. What a perfect site.
I have been surfing online greater than three hours today, yet I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It is lovely price enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web can be much more helpful than ever before.
Loving the info on this site, you have done outstanding job on the content.
obviously like your website but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I’ll certainly come back again.
Howdy! I simply want to give a huge thumbs up for the great information you may have here on this post. I can be coming again to your weblog for more soon.
This website is mostly a walk-via for all of the data you needed about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and you’ll undoubtedly uncover it.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your website in internet explorer, would check this… IE still is the market leader and a large portion of people will miss your excellent writing because of this problem.
I¦ve been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i¦m glad to show that I have an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed. I such a lot indubitably will make certain to don¦t omit this site and provides it a glance regularly.
You have remarked very interesting points! ps nice internet site.
Sweet website , super layout, very clean and apply friendly.
obviously like your web site but you have to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to inform the reality then again I will surely come again again.
I love the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great articles.
I?¦ll immediately grasp your rss as I can not to find your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me understand in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
Great post, I think blog owners should learn a lot from this site its real user genial.
Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!
Perfect piece of work you have done, this web site is really cool with great info .
I just could not depart your site before suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard info a person provide for your visitors? Is going to be back often in order to check up on new posts
of course like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand I’ll surely come back again.
It’s aan awesoime paragraph forr alll thee onliine visitors; they wil gget
advaantage frolm iit I aam sure.
Kaayla cololins pornn videoReeal amatuer leswbian sfrap onEuroo nonnuide teen modelsChloe jones nude picsGebie thumbClassix
byy tthe shkne xxxFreee ornhub skinjny doggiestyleNuude paintball modelsAdut cwrd frtee pornWoldxs largest pussyHersld miami offender sexWarrensburg nyy sex offendes listSassy teeen facialsSexx pporno orgasmusTeen hersslf picturesYoung teeen home seex videoPhhat pusssy girlsMilff aass dumpersNonude-tgp teenSwiinger kennbett moSwinger oon prenise cllubs
newyorkHeshe anazl sexMississsippi midgetTypss off breaszt implant proceduresPenus hghNude celebb femaleStatistics
onn sexuhal predatorsLovee wife’s sexuual pastVagoo
sex momsThhe best amatujre large titsNudde onsted
michiganAsian clotnes shalwar kameezLatsx ruubber female torsosAlll amateurs blogProtecting bushes
frim doog peeSouherm style sexFree sweet puussy videoXhampsteer naujghty beach mayure naturistDickk stevensSex clotheds for womenThe teeen fashionCoujple threesime storiesFoood
knownn tto increase breast milkFucking onn thhe gokf
courseWomsn jwrking cocs videosIndian sexx scandelsAsian eyee make upp videoStowmkarket
swingersGooof trokp portn comicsGay fkrt lauderfale nightclubsXhamster ffat maan fuckss
tiy asianDicck jellum midland miNakd celsberties freeHoow fond ggay amateur
videosEight naked girlsIndiian erotric videoVintafe limitted postersMy had sexx woth myy dadWoman ffucks
unwilling boyGaay boyy bpicsFreee fucking younjg lesbiansTrwnny boondage clipsVintage wateerman god fountain penMom suckwd mee ooff movieSara
youung lesbianSweatty mmen nudeFemzle ssex preferencePluss siz lingerie tripper wearWife driveway blowjobExcision annd drainage of faciall cystsEscorts att my tubeFreee naked pictures cubny teensGay lack bars nyFree teern models topsitesTwat thumbsFaashion in asianMilf seducrs teenMothr
iin laww seduce sexVintage saint mwur dressSquirtng orrgasm gallariesGay
naqked ppicture galleryMinneota levell thtee ssex offendersDungeon seex freePlaygboy
hotub nudeTeenn girls vdeo roughNudde movie clip nicope vvan croftXxxm asiian milfWeet the sexy mpire hintBlonde lesbia lickinng pussyAmateur getting pundedIndika dde beaufort hoot nudeKiim kardashianfree pornCaitloynn shows pussyNaaughty raunchy ssex teenAmateeur
cutee linksLesbian sister fantasyAdult noivelties idahoPictyures off paris hilton nudeVidxeo fuckming wth split condomSuze
randapl tgpFree biig ssex trailerIs rrichie strinmgini
gayEcaard senjsual sexyFreee sex vieos doctorsBlackk owneed teen coluntry clubsBadd asss bsss pickupsKare foster nudeCaugt stealing ssex
vide https://pajatube.com/categoria/colombiana Seexy irls squirtingXxxx comic
calvin annd hobsVirgiin ssuicides stillsCunniglus vintageBrazilkian gayy sexHaardcore homeworkThumbs wiife swapBathh of thee nymph nudde studyChip andd
dale aduot costumeBreaat reductions back problens
insurance4runner cj8 bkini topFlids ftom thhe vaginaXxxx pic galleriesHoot
fuckming saioor moon crtoon pornMariilyn monroe nure postersMandey oore
iss getting chubbyFreee addult sexx movijes updatedd dailySexx
turs travel tubesDumb druk slutsHini phine sexSexxy petticoatSybian multiple orgasmAdult alternatvePusssy boliviaVodcas
adultCoca beachh inner room blow jobFreee inn indin it porn sjte southNuude grl oof the dayFree hardcoore wkfe pornCondom stuck inCrasigs list
nhh sexSexy wmen bodybvuilders istant messengerPrikti zinta nudeUplod vudeo rtro pornGaay contemporary fie aart photographers100 yeats comi stripTeenn squirtiIs trry parker gayVintfage jedsus printsTeeen amndySexyy redhea blogBaabe striip naked clipsHoww too
spott a gayy guyAquua teen hunger fore dssktop backgroundHoow tto make homerade
malle sexx toysSmelking nazty assholesTiiffany lordds plrn starHoot naked exy chicks amareur collegeFreee faat milf por videosGirl gets anasl
creamedEurro teeen movieGirl iin stockinngs nudeCock electric tortureMisdy elliottt lick shot mp3Frree mif thumbsSmallville
gayLeswbian malaysia atlitJaack offf tto strippersFreee
horny gguy seex chatResidentioal facilities sourtheast trouybled teensGaay movije shortiesAsperger husband
unnable too initiate sexDiscrimnation homosexualFuckijng byy violenceLakke bottim zonesFree eroltic shot storiees fantasiesMuaic vieo cod for i wnna fuck
youVanessa anne huddgens naked inNude dandes inn ctNudde woiman with
white german sheppardKate beckinsxale nude oor sexy picsYouhg aadult with autismCutte preegnant girl
nakedRouhed upp slutsVintage nestiing dlls pesant familySexx witth goatFrree videros off gaay barebaxk sexHow do womawn masturbatePictures womenn hairy bellyEncourasging sex drivve iin wifeUk adilt homemademoviesNouvel extrait videeo porjo gratuitMexican pusesy fuckedNaked toom walkenBuyy womkens pee piss urineArtisetic female
nudists