Spiritual Survival Guide
1: Starting Well: Surviving Spiritually on the Inside
The lights-on guys are struggling with all of the same things—but along with the struggle there are also signs of hopefulness, activity, conviction, purpose, even joy.
The very first day I was guided to a Mr. Green, another inmate who for the last four years has kept my feet on solid ground spiritually and helped me grow immensely from time to time. I’ve seen God work through Mr. Green and I’ve desired to have God work through me. –Nathaniel My mind was spiritually awakened. I started thinking differ- ent—and better! I got to know Jesus and asked him to come into my life. I don’t recall anything bad. –Kevin I wasn’t living, walking, or anything else in the Spirit in my first nine years here, so nothing went well. I wasn’t trying to find out who I was spiritually. I came off the street doing drugs and came to prison to continue that same course. –Jacques In my first year in prison I was very upset with God because I am innocent of the crime I was convicted of. I asked God why he would let this happen to me knowing the truth about my case. So my faith was shaky because I felt like God did not love me. But as time went on my spirit began to change. –Rodney When I first stepped into the NRC (L-2) in July of 2005, I started praying to God that I would be assigned to a prison closer to my family. And God answered my prayer—I came to Stateville.The problem, though, was when I got to prison I was immediately surrounded with unbelievers.That made me totally forget about the blessing that the Lord had just given to me! I now look at the NRC as a holding place of the Lord. He wants you to think first of what you want to do with your time in prison—and that’s to do his will. –Wilfredo
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