Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday September 27, 2007
Do you ever wonder why people do the things they do? I know I engage in this often study in futility. Why would two grown men try to escape from a Texas prison and in the attempt run over and kill a female corrections officer? (I admit being a male chauvinist pig and question why was a girl guarding violent male prisoners). I'm sure the lady was trying to make a living, perhaps a single mother feeding and clothing her children. One of my friends is doing exactly that and she finds no joy in the doing, though having worked at the women's prison she states the men are a piece of cake comparatively. Another friend, a male, works at the women's prison and the stories he can tell.
All it takes for a father, mother, wife or husband or bi-vocational pastor to lose their life working in a prison is one brief unguarded moment and as quick as a snap of the finger the unwitting officer is in eternity looking at Jesus. One officer told me, "Larry, the prisoner you do not trust will never hurt you." He went on to explain that if a prisoner is known to be violent you never depart from procedure. It is the one you trust and as a result of this trust you depart from procedure and in a split second you are grievously wounded or killed. One man whom I hold in the highest esteem will carry scars to his grave, and while on the way has endured numerous surgeries in attempts to fix the deep wounds caused by multiple stab wounds from a prisoner who was trying to stab someone else.
In our state several of the operations have been farmed out to private prison companies and the prisons are becoming powder kegs just waiting to explode and a few already have. Lack of training was blamed for one riot. A riot is a senseless act of desperation and no one in their right mind wants any part, whether they are prisoner or officer.
My friends Darrell Case and Gene Woodcox near beg for volunteers who will diligently learn how to work with them to reach prisoners for Christ. Both men are outstanding in this work. Yet they are always laboring shorthanded. One of the very best safeguards of safety in a prison is for prisoners to know Christ and become His disciple. Yes, I do know that some prisoners have "jail house religion" but I also know many who have Jesus in the jail house.
A group of prisoners with whom I correspond meet regularly and pray for those who guard them. I often receive requests to join with them in prayer for the sick child of an officer, or a guard who has been diagnosed with cancer. I also know several officers who pray on a regular basis for prisoners who are going through a tough time when word comes the child is terminally ill, the Dear John letter comes at mail call and one whose daughter wrote and told dad not to bother coming home. One woman got the note from the President telling of her son's courage in laying down his life for America. Life is tough on whatever side of the bars.
In all of this chaos, Christ makes the difference to prisoner and officer alike. Christ cares about you, and the convict and the guard. He came to seek and to save the lost regardless of the uniform. I hope you will join with many prisoners and a great number of corrections workers and me in praying for a true revival in our prisons.
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit.
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