"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely
upon your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path."
Proverbs 3:1
On April 12, 2016, something happened which left me no choice but to trust in the Lord with every ounce of my strength...
upon your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path."
Proverbs 3:1
On April 12, 2016, something happened which left me no choice but to trust in the Lord with every ounce of my strength...
It was on this day some nine years ago when a correction officer came to my cell and told me to start packing my belongings. I was being transferred to another prison.
While getting transferred is a routine occurrence within the prison system, what made it surprising for me was the fact that I had been at this particular facility for twenty-eight years, and several months. I was shocked, and so was the officer. "I'm on a transfer?" I asked in astonishment. It seemed surreal.
But that was the case indeed. So I had no choice but to gather my belongings in preparation to move to a prison yet to be named. The policy is to never tell the incarcerated individual where he's being transferred to until he boards the transport vehicle. This was when I was told I was going to the Shawangunk Correctional facility after having been at Sullivan for nearly three decades.
Transferring is never easy. It involves packing up your property while saying goodbye to friends whom, both you, and they, know we may never see each other again. It was gut-wrenching indeed, having to leave behind all my "brothers" in Christ. We were a close-knit bunch who prayed and stayed together as much as was possible.
In any event, the Lord showed himself faithful to me. I have now been at Shawangunk for nine years, and I've done very well. I am currently employed as a clerk for one of the chaplains. I've worked as a clerk in the prison's library, and as an aide for men who require the usage of a wheelchair. I am a trained and certified "Mobility Assistant" for the handicapped.
Thus, by the grace of God, I have used my time well. But I will never forget the moment the officer in my housing unit told me of my being transferred. We were both surprised. And now it's been nine years since I left that facility, leaving behind a fellowship of dedicated former convicts (2 Corinthians 5:17) who were in love with Jesus Christ.
Looking back, I can truly say that God had been directing my steps all along.
D.B.
While getting transferred is a routine occurrence within the prison system, what made it surprising for me was the fact that I had been at this particular facility for twenty-eight years, and several months. I was shocked, and so was the officer. "I'm on a transfer?" I asked in astonishment. It seemed surreal.
But that was the case indeed. So I had no choice but to gather my belongings in preparation to move to a prison yet to be named. The policy is to never tell the incarcerated individual where he's being transferred to until he boards the transport vehicle. This was when I was told I was going to the Shawangunk Correctional facility after having been at Sullivan for nearly three decades.
Transferring is never easy. It involves packing up your property while saying goodbye to friends whom, both you, and they, know we may never see each other again. It was gut-wrenching indeed, having to leave behind all my "brothers" in Christ. We were a close-knit bunch who prayed and stayed together as much as was possible.
In any event, the Lord showed himself faithful to me. I have now been at Shawangunk for nine years, and I've done very well. I am currently employed as a clerk for one of the chaplains. I've worked as a clerk in the prison's library, and as an aide for men who require the usage of a wheelchair. I am a trained and certified "Mobility Assistant" for the handicapped.
Thus, by the grace of God, I have used my time well. But I will never forget the moment the officer in my housing unit told me of my being transferred. We were both surprised. And now it's been nine years since I left that facility, leaving behind a fellowship of dedicated former convicts (2 Corinthians 5:17) who were in love with Jesus Christ.
Looking back, I can truly say that God had been directing my steps all along.
D.B.