Being Called Part One
There was a time in my life when I worked as a corrections officer. For me, this was a bitter sweet job. There were some really great moments and some really horrible ones too. Many inmates came and gone, most were harmless people full of empty threats. Others, a few, you could count on them carrying out their threats. There were always some that you feared. You knew they could and most likely would go off on you, lose their composure and attack. One such inmate, Jones, was this short fellow, a walking muscle I liked to call him. He bench pressed well over 300 pounds. I could envision him tearing a door off its hinges with little effort as well as my head.
Somehow, I become the designated person when it came time to lock inmates up. Yes, I know, sounds crazy, locking inmates up. After all I was working in a prison, how on earth do you lock someone up who is already locked up? Well, I worked in minimum security institute. Lock up meant sending them straight to maximum security. When an offender got into too much trouble, they became a flight risk and needed to be moved into a higher security setting. Locking up an inmate meant putting shackles on him; leg irons, waist chains and handcuffs. Don't let those movies fool you, it is very difficult to get cuffs on a person when they don't want to have them put on. Every time an inmate needed to be locked up, I was called. I always said, I hope that I am not around when and if the time ever came to lock up Jones.
When an inmate needed to be sent to lock up, the sergeant would place the inmate in the visitors room which was adjacent to our main control post. There was a huge viewing window between the two rooms so personal could keep an eye on inmates and their visitors. When an officer comes on duty, they have to sign in at the control post. When doing so, you get a clear view into the visitors room. Well, one day I come in to work the afternoon shift. Walking up to the control post, the serge hands me the sign in log. As I am signing in, I look up and over to the left and there he was. Jones, sitting in the visitors room. Crap, well, actually several other words went through my mind at that time. I looked up in into the eyes of my sergeant. He stared back, no words were exchanged at that moment.
Inmates who have been found guilty by the conduct adjustment board (C.A.B) for serious infractions are not told of the verdict if they are going to be sent to the main prison. That is, not until they are in shackles. Here is the rub. All inmates who have went before the C.A.B. knows that when they are called to the visitors room, it isn't going to be good. Furthermore, when an officer walks in carrying shackles, the message is clear. You are going to lock up. I asked my sergeant, "how long has Jones been sitting there." The sergeant replied, "three hours." They purposefully waited for me to come on duty. It was now my job to grab handcuffs, a waist chain, and leg irons, and then go into the room and tell the muscle, that is the inmate he is going to the other side. The other side being
maximum security.
I thought about this for a moment, then went into the control post and read the findings of the C.A.B. Setting the record down, I exited the control post and walked the five steps or so to the visitors room. I purposefully left the shackles in the control post. I entered the visitors room and sat down next to Jones. We sat there and said nothing for a few minutes. I took a breath and said, "You know what's up?" Jones answered, "Yes." I then said, "I have to put shackles on you, are you going to give me a problem?" To my relief Jones said, "no, it's not your fault, you are just doing your job." Magic words. We talked for a few more minutes and then I got up and went to the control post and came back with the shackles. I said, "I have to put this one you now." Jones stood up and turned around so I could put the waist chains on him. He turned, placed his hands together and lifted them so I could cuff him, quickly hooking his cuffs through a loop in the waist chains in case he changed his mind. Now he was secure. Jones kept his word. I shackled him without a problem.
Moral of the story
The first time I had to lock a man up, after depositing him in lock up, I returned to the center with just the chains. I felt as if I had taken my dog out and shot him. It was a horrible feeling. Soon though, I began to enjoy the challenge. No, not the challenge of fighting with inmates, but rather the thrill or I should say, adrenaline rush of facing the unknown and winning. To me, winning meant getting the shackles on the inmate without a fight. No one gets hurt. That was the desired outcome. Didn't always work but I had the best track record. What I didn't realize is that I had become very proficient at this and well respected for my abilities. Thus, the shift supervisor would hold the inmate in the visitors room until I came on duty.
Vietnam
I went to China in 2001 on a missions trip. I fell in love with China. I studied the culture and the language for a year prior to going. I continued to study the culture and language for another year. In 2002, I returned to China. I was now very familiar with China. In 2003, we were once again headed back to China but S.A.R.S broke out and so we were rerouted to Vietnam. I was not a happy camper. I didn't want to go to Vietnam. I knew nothing about it, didn't speak the language. God grabbed me by the back of my shirt collar and dragged me kicking and screaming to Vietnam. I soon learned that indeed, "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" (Matt, 9:38). Jesus, and the New Testament writers loved to use farming analogies, which were apropos for the times. I had forgotten that God is the farmer. He owns the farm, the fields, the very crops which are growing. We are but farm hands. I wanted to go and work in one field, the master of the farm wanted me to go to a different field. He knows best. He knows which crops need tending and who is best to tend to them. I was nonetheless, a grumbling farm hand.
God Calls us
God, as the master of the farm calls us to work in His fields. He knows who is right for the job at that given moment. Much like my story with the inmate. I was the right man for the job. I was called upon to do a special job because I was best suited. Likewise, we are called not to the field we want to work in, but the one God wants us to work in. This is a hard lesson for many to learn. I love China so that is where by gum, God is going to send me, right? Or, at least that is what I thought. No, it isn't about what country you love or where you want to go, but where God sees your talents and abilities will be the most effective that matters. Like me, locking up one particular inmate or serving in a country and having no desire to, you may, most likely will, be called to do something somewhere you don't want to do or don't like. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your strengths and abilities.
Ephesians 4:1
"As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." each and every person who is a Christian has a calling. Paul tells us to live a life worthy of that calling. Here, many will profess, some have been gifted to be pastors, deacons, teachers, and administrators. This is true, but each one of us are responsible for sharing the Gospel through words and deeds, be it in your little community, or in foreign missions. We are called to serve our Master and tend to his fields, flocks, and feed his sheep. We are all called to be lights in an otherwise dark world.
Somehow, I become the designated person when it came time to lock inmates up. Yes, I know, sounds crazy, locking inmates up. After all I was working in a prison, how on earth do you lock someone up who is already locked up? Well, I worked in minimum security institute. Lock up meant sending them straight to maximum security. When an offender got into too much trouble, they became a flight risk and needed to be moved into a higher security setting. Locking up an inmate meant putting shackles on him; leg irons, waist chains and handcuffs. Don't let those movies fool you, it is very difficult to get cuffs on a person when they don't want to have them put on. Every time an inmate needed to be locked up, I was called. I always said, I hope that I am not around when and if the time ever came to lock up Jones.
When an inmate needed to be sent to lock up, the sergeant would place the inmate in the visitors room which was adjacent to our main control post. There was a huge viewing window between the two rooms so personal could keep an eye on inmates and their visitors. When an officer comes on duty, they have to sign in at the control post. When doing so, you get a clear view into the visitors room. Well, one day I come in to work the afternoon shift. Walking up to the control post, the serge hands me the sign in log. As I am signing in, I look up and over to the left and there he was. Jones, sitting in the visitors room. Crap, well, actually several other words went through my mind at that time. I looked up in into the eyes of my sergeant. He stared back, no words were exchanged at that moment.
Inmates who have been found guilty by the conduct adjustment board (C.A.B) for serious infractions are not told of the verdict if they are going to be sent to the main prison. That is, not until they are in shackles. Here is the rub. All inmates who have went before the C.A.B. knows that when they are called to the visitors room, it isn't going to be good. Furthermore, when an officer walks in carrying shackles, the message is clear. You are going to lock up. I asked my sergeant, "how long has Jones been sitting there." The sergeant replied, "three hours." They purposefully waited for me to come on duty. It was now my job to grab handcuffs, a waist chain, and leg irons, and then go into the room and tell the muscle, that is the inmate he is going to the other side. The other side being
maximum security.
I thought about this for a moment, then went into the control post and read the findings of the C.A.B. Setting the record down, I exited the control post and walked the five steps or so to the visitors room. I purposefully left the shackles in the control post. I entered the visitors room and sat down next to Jones. We sat there and said nothing for a few minutes. I took a breath and said, "You know what's up?" Jones answered, "Yes." I then said, "I have to put shackles on you, are you going to give me a problem?" To my relief Jones said, "no, it's not your fault, you are just doing your job." Magic words. We talked for a few more minutes and then I got up and went to the control post and came back with the shackles. I said, "I have to put this one you now." Jones stood up and turned around so I could put the waist chains on him. He turned, placed his hands together and lifted them so I could cuff him, quickly hooking his cuffs through a loop in the waist chains in case he changed his mind. Now he was secure. Jones kept his word. I shackled him without a problem.
Moral of the story
The first time I had to lock a man up, after depositing him in lock up, I returned to the center with just the chains. I felt as if I had taken my dog out and shot him. It was a horrible feeling. Soon though, I began to enjoy the challenge. No, not the challenge of fighting with inmates, but rather the thrill or I should say, adrenaline rush of facing the unknown and winning. To me, winning meant getting the shackles on the inmate without a fight. No one gets hurt. That was the desired outcome. Didn't always work but I had the best track record. What I didn't realize is that I had become very proficient at this and well respected for my abilities. Thus, the shift supervisor would hold the inmate in the visitors room until I came on duty.
Vietnam
I went to China in 2001 on a missions trip. I fell in love with China. I studied the culture and the language for a year prior to going. I continued to study the culture and language for another year. In 2002, I returned to China. I was now very familiar with China. In 2003, we were once again headed back to China but S.A.R.S broke out and so we were rerouted to Vietnam. I was not a happy camper. I didn't want to go to Vietnam. I knew nothing about it, didn't speak the language. God grabbed me by the back of my shirt collar and dragged me kicking and screaming to Vietnam. I soon learned that indeed, "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" (Matt, 9:38). Jesus, and the New Testament writers loved to use farming analogies, which were apropos for the times. I had forgotten that God is the farmer. He owns the farm, the fields, the very crops which are growing. We are but farm hands. I wanted to go and work in one field, the master of the farm wanted me to go to a different field. He knows best. He knows which crops need tending and who is best to tend to them. I was nonetheless, a grumbling farm hand.
God Calls us
God, as the master of the farm calls us to work in His fields. He knows who is right for the job at that given moment. Much like my story with the inmate. I was the right man for the job. I was called upon to do a special job because I was best suited. Likewise, we are called not to the field we want to work in, but the one God wants us to work in. This is a hard lesson for many to learn. I love China so that is where by gum, God is going to send me, right? Or, at least that is what I thought. No, it isn't about what country you love or where you want to go, but where God sees your talents and abilities will be the most effective that matters. Like me, locking up one particular inmate or serving in a country and having no desire to, you may, most likely will, be called to do something somewhere you don't want to do or don't like. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your strengths and abilities.
Ephesians 4:1
"As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." each and every person who is a Christian has a calling. Paul tells us to live a life worthy of that calling. Here, many will profess, some have been gifted to be pastors, deacons, teachers, and administrators. This is true, but each one of us are responsible for sharing the Gospel through words and deeds, be it in your little community, or in foreign missions. We are called to serve our Master and tend to his fields, flocks, and feed his sheep. We are all called to be lights in an otherwise dark world.
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