PRISONER EXPRESS

For instance, Christians (of which I am one), do you dig deeper into the word of God to find His path for you in your existence on this big ol' ball called earth. Do we truly spend the majority of a day digging deeper in the road map of God's word to follow His instructions and come into obedience to Him? Christ Jesus did a mighty work on the Cross to redeem, sanctify and justify us, wouldn't you think we would dig deeper for a true personal relationship with Christ. In only spending an hour or two, at first, in digging deeper in the bible will bring the desire to spend more time digging, and in this you will also dig deeper into your heart for the personal relationship you desire to have with Christ Jesus.

How about another facet: “Addictions.” What causes a person to take that first drink, do that first drug, overindulge with food, sex or become an adrenaline freak. Have you heard the statement “You must dig deep to find the root of your addiction,” or similar statements? Many factors may ensue that have caused our addiction (IE: abuse of some sort, peer pressure, loss of a loved one or job, the stress of living in today's society, etc). To truly heal and overcome our addictions, we must begin the “Digging Deeper” to find the root and cut it to pull out the stump.

Give this a thought, “Digging Deeper” to prove your love for family. How deep are you willing to go to show your love? Can you dig deep enough to forgive your wife for something that was actually meaningless or even infidelity? Can you dig deep enough to show her the respect she deserves, and with a love so deep that you forsake all the beautiful ladies in the world? How about your children, how deep will you dig to show them your love? Do you write them from prison and ask questions to show your interest in their lives? Do you respect and give advice concerning the decisions they make? What if your son or daughter came to you and said “I'm gay,” or your 13 to 18 year old daughter says “I'm pregnant,” or your teenage son tells you his girlfriend is pregnant? Hurtful statements but we must also dig deep to love them for these life decisions or mistakes, to tell them “I love you no matter what life choice you make, and I'm here for you.”

How about in dealing with this new breed of newbies coming into prison, these instant convicts who have never done any time before this stint. I'm talking of the 16 to 25 year olds (and some older) who think they know all about prison. You know them, they are the ones who were slinging thousands of dollars of dope but still lived at home with mommy and drove her car while robbing old ladies and touching on children. They come into prison thinking they need to prove their manhood (which they are not), a real man knows how to respect others and not throw trash on the floor or talk to their so called homeboys while sitting next to you and you're trying to hear the TV. It is quite sad that today's inmate generation (newbies of all ages) have no clue but claim they do. It is no secret by now that I am having difficulty “Digging Deeper” within myself to find some sort of tolerance for these children, and I mean the 50 plus year old children also. I may never find this tolerance I seek, but maybe one day. Yeah right!!

The only encouragement and advice I can offer to fellow inmates: “Dig deep within yourself, within your heart and soul to find the truth as to why you hate, lie, commit crimes and hurt your family in the process. Law makers, prison officials and your family cannot change the crime problems and reoffending. The public has an extreme dislike for criminals but they cannot change us, the change will come from deep inside us, it is a deep desire to change. It is the want to change that we, as individuals, must search deep to find. It is not on the surface, that is a false desire barely penetrating our first layer of skin. The change I talk about comes from the most inner depths of our heart and soul. So, if you truly want to change, start digging and dig deep. Peace to all!