Spiritual Survival Guide
7: Surviving Spiritually Beyond Prison
him, he was busy writing his one-way ticket back into the penitentiary. What that young man needed most was hope—God’s own hope. True hope is God’s gift to us. It’s based on God’s promises to us for a trans- formed tomorrow. It’s a vision of a brighter future planted by God him- self deep in our imaginations. True hope comes from God and is based on his own unshakable promises. It isn’t just our own self-manufactured optimism based on our own wishful thinking. We asked some inmates whether or not they felt hopeful about surviving spiritually after re- entry. Here’s what they told us.
I feel very hopeful.The Lord has molded me into what he wants me to be. I am prepared to face the trying times af- ter being released from prison. One thing I have learned is patience. With patience I can persevere through the roadblocks that lie ahead. —Doaikah Yes, I do because God is my Lord and master, and in him I will continue to serve. I also have a lot of support from family and friends—and I know my weaknesses, and I will stay away from them. —Robert Sometimes I do because when I get out I don’t want to live on the street. I want to go back to school, have a job. A wife and kids. Will somebody care about me? I’m only being honest. —Timothy
Yes, because the base of faith is hope. —Earl
Yeah, I’m counting on God and his promises. So far, after nineteen years, he’s kept me. I know he’ll have me in his hands. —Jose
These guys weren’t just filled with a profound hope about what would happen to them after prison. After years of growing in their faith inside, they were also excited about how God might put them to good use when they re-enter society. And so we asked them, “What excites you most about the idea of surviving spiritually after prison?” Here’s a sam- pling of what they told us.
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