• Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
  • My Apology
  • Testimony
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
  • Are YOU Ready?
  • My Life Story
    • Videos
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tract
  • Journal
    • *2018 >
      • December 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
    • 2009
    • 2008
    • 2007
    • 2006
    • 2005
  • Ministry Tools
  • A Letter to a Satanist
  • Advice to Parents and Teens
    • School Projects
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • What is Prison All About?
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • Updates
  • Friends
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Contact
  • Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
  • My Apology
  • Testimony
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
  • Are YOU Ready?
  • My Life Story
    • Videos
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tract
  • Journal
    • *2018 >
      • December 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
    • 2009
    • 2008
    • 2007
    • 2006
    • 2005
  • Ministry Tools
  • A Letter to a Satanist
  • Advice to Parents and Teens
    • School Projects
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • What is Prison All About?
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • Updates
  • Friends
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Contact
AriseandShine.org

April 2011

Mental Illness

4/4/2011

 
And call upon Me in the day of trouble:
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me
Psalm 50:15


Because God is always merciful and kind He will never ignore or despise the cries of his children. And for many of those who are in jail or prison, mental illness has been their lifelong 'day of trouble...'
In addition, for decades, correctional facilities have become the warehouses and dumping grounds for those who have mental health issues, and who have run afoul of the law. The biggest reason for this being that there are not enough psychiatric centers and hospitals to handle everyone, or so it has been claimed. This has been an often discussed issue in the media and among prison and mental health officials. So I'll leave it at that.

However, this afternoon, as I entered the facility's Intermediate Care Program (E-North) to visit the residents, sixty-four in all, I sensed the Lord's presence in a unique yet gentle way. And as I looked around at the faces of the men, my heart was touched with compassion. Not that I ever lacked compassion. After all, this is why I chose to work here in the first place. So that I could befriend these troubled men, give them hope, and share the love of God. Yet, for some reason, today was different. My heart was warmed in a special way that I cannot describe.

As I walked along the tiers in E-North to chat with and visit my inmate friends, I had a desire to silently pray for each man. In Matthew's gospel account, the Lord Jesus was quoted as saying "For ye have the poor always with you (Matthew 26:11)." True! Poor people exist throughout the planet, but may I humbly add that in this fallen world we also have the mentally ill and psychologically tormented with us, too. And God, I believe, sent me to these men to tell them that He loves and cares for them very much.

D.B.

Comments are closed.

    Author

    David Berkowitz
    Copyright © AriseandShine.Org

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly