The Lord is not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
In spite of the bone-chilling cold outside...
but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
In spite of the bone-chilling cold outside...
God was busy warming the hearts this morning inside the prison's chapel. At the close of the preacher's message, when the invitation was given for all those who wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to come down to the altar, two men decided to get up from their seats and go.
It was obvious to me, however, by the looks on the faces of these two fellows, and by the particular way each walked, that they had lived through rough lives before coming here. They had the appearance of men who drank too much alcohol, and had been addicted to drugs, probably for a long time. Their faces looked worn and prematurely wrinkled. They both appeared to be much older than their actual ages. In addition, each man's shoulders had a noticeable sag that one would see on someone who has spent much of their life battling depression. They walked with a posture of a person who has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and cannot even remember what it is to walk with a head held erect and sure.
And I noticed something else. Their prison uniforms were badly soiled and wrinkled. From my experience with other inmates, this usually indicates that before each one came to prison, he was homeless. And this is not at all uncommon.
Such individuals, when they were homeless, would often be found sleeping with their clothes on, even in their shoes. Doing this kept their clothes from getting stolen. And it did not matter if one was sleeping on a park bench or in a shelter. Whatever item was off your body, even if it was right by your side, would be considered fair game to a desperate thief
For the chronically homeless, sleeping fully dressed is a learned habit that often gets carried over when a man is in prison. To remove your clothing is to make yourself vulnerable.
Furthermore, and this has been told to me by several formerly homeless inmates over the years, that when you sleep outdoors, sometimes you'd find yourself being startled by the sharp poking of a police officer's nightstick and an angry bark to "Get up, and get moving!" Thus sleeping with your clothes on helped you to make a quick getaway with only seconds to either grab your sleeping bag, if you had one, or your cardboard mat.
But aside from this, the best thing for these two broken men was that they each heard the gospel and made a decision to receive Christ. Watching them, as they stood with their backs to the congregation and facing the preacher with heads bowed like two little kids, was a humbling sight. I listened with joy as they both said the "Sinner's Prayer" together. No doubt, there was jubilation in heaven as two more souls were added to God's family.
D.B.
It was obvious to me, however, by the looks on the faces of these two fellows, and by the particular way each walked, that they had lived through rough lives before coming here. They had the appearance of men who drank too much alcohol, and had been addicted to drugs, probably for a long time. Their faces looked worn and prematurely wrinkled. They both appeared to be much older than their actual ages. In addition, each man's shoulders had a noticeable sag that one would see on someone who has spent much of their life battling depression. They walked with a posture of a person who has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and cannot even remember what it is to walk with a head held erect and sure.
And I noticed something else. Their prison uniforms were badly soiled and wrinkled. From my experience with other inmates, this usually indicates that before each one came to prison, he was homeless. And this is not at all uncommon.
Such individuals, when they were homeless, would often be found sleeping with their clothes on, even in their shoes. Doing this kept their clothes from getting stolen. And it did not matter if one was sleeping on a park bench or in a shelter. Whatever item was off your body, even if it was right by your side, would be considered fair game to a desperate thief
For the chronically homeless, sleeping fully dressed is a learned habit that often gets carried over when a man is in prison. To remove your clothing is to make yourself vulnerable.
Furthermore, and this has been told to me by several formerly homeless inmates over the years, that when you sleep outdoors, sometimes you'd find yourself being startled by the sharp poking of a police officer's nightstick and an angry bark to "Get up, and get moving!" Thus sleeping with your clothes on helped you to make a quick getaway with only seconds to either grab your sleeping bag, if you had one, or your cardboard mat.
But aside from this, the best thing for these two broken men was that they each heard the gospel and made a decision to receive Christ. Watching them, as they stood with their backs to the congregation and facing the preacher with heads bowed like two little kids, was a humbling sight. I listened with joy as they both said the "Sinner's Prayer" together. No doubt, there was jubilation in heaven as two more souls were added to God's family.
D.B.
