Hope for the Incarceratedنموونە

(Today’s story of hope comes from Eric, a Program Manager for HIA.)

I remember all the times I've been incarcerated. Especially the time when another inmate told me, “Brother, if the only time you pray is when you come to jail, then you're going to be coming to jail often.”

You see, jail removed a lot of distractions from my life. Distractions like active addiction, work, relationships, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I once read a scripture where God says he only disciplines those that he loves—well, my track record shows me that God loves me a lot. You see God really wasn't arresting me; he was rescuing me. He was sitting me down and giving me time to get closer to him, to gain clarity and get into his word.

We have all heard the term "Jailhouse Christian." (Jailhouse Christian, huh? Didn't Paul write most of the New Testament from jail?) I guess there is some truth to the term, though, because when I got dropped off at the bus station in downtown Stockton, Oklahoma with $200 in my pocket and no hope, I was quick to stop looking at God and start looking to the world. “Survival Mode,” I called it.

In survival mode, it wasn't long before I would be on my way back to the land of the incarcerated, whether it was on a violation or (most of the time) new charges. I was caught in that revolving door. Once again God was setting me back down, building me back up, and setting me free again. The hardest thing for this Jailhouse Christian was becoming a Born-Again, Set-Free, Walking-with-Christ Christian.

Finally, God used some people to give me some middle ground. To provide a place where I could practice my walk before getting lost in the blender we call society. I was able to work on my recovery, get a job, get a driver’s license, get involved in community groups at church, actually pay off my fines, save money for a vehicle, and eventually have money to move into a new place. I was able to build a support team to walk alongside me before I was all on my own.

Most of all, I gained the experience of staying close to God while living in a busy world that isn't focused on him at all. The place where I found my footing isn't a halfway house—it's an all-the-way house! Because God wants to walk with us all the way. He wants a full-time relationship with us. He loves us and he is always there.

God never abandoned me. I abandoned him. But I turned back to him and he turned me into someone new.