CHRISTMAS HOPE - PART 4 (FINAL)

CHRISTMAS HOPE – PART 4

After receiving my “surprise gift” I went back to the lodge to make some coffee and read the novella I had been saving for this day.  It didn’t take long to get to know the characters and get caught up in the current of the story.  I really enjoy reading Cindy’s books.  She has a gift of building plots and twisting them with characters who seem familiar.  This one was no exception.  The story took place in a town that I knew from my past.  The towns, highways and buildings came to life in my memories.

The story is built with Biblical precepts and themes giving us a glimpse of what our lives could look like if we lived with grace, love and forgiveness.  Some of the characters have strong Christ-like characters and some are messed up, broken people trying to find their way in life.  It all blends together to show us that hope can be found through Faith in Jesus, even if our faith starts out small (or non-existent) in our brokenness.

This story was very special to me as many of those precepts used in the book were captured from our family!  In each character, I could see the different traits and character qualities from our family members.  My memory was flooded with thoughts of our past family gatherings.  However, I don’t remember anything about a horse making snow angels at any of our parties!!!  J

The book was an excellent distraction for a difficult day.  I felt as though I were home again.  I filled my day with other activities, like a big Christmas meal of Cornish Game Hen that was cooked ALL the way through, this year.  I made calls to family to wish them Merry Christmas.   I had some good conversations with friends here and then more reading.

The day after Christmas brought a feeling of relief, knowing that I made it througha difficult holiday.  Even more encouraging is the fact that I have made it through 4 Christmases and now I only have 3 left to endure.  I looked at my chart I use to track my time and I see that the end of January marks the halfway point of my Federal Timeshare stay.  This means I will be able to change from counting up to counting down!  It’s a big milestone for me.  These last 3 years I have seen people arrive here with longer sentences than I have and I have seen many more with lesser sentences than I have.  I met them on their first day and I said good-bye on their last day.  Now that my remaining sentence is shorter and more manageable, I am seeing guys arrive who will be leaving around the same time I will be leaving or that will be here longer than me.  Knowing that  I am about to be past this point brings me some hope that the end is coming.  I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but I can start watching for it!!

In the meantime, I have work to do here.  I know God has things He wants me to do.  I live in a very social environment and I am a person who is energized by getting away from people.  So I’m learning to adapt.  I have come to accept frequent interruptions, overheard conversations, and group discussions when I simply want to read.  So when someone comes to my “crib” (my cube – I’m trying to learn a little ‘gangsta’ speak) to talk to me, I fight the natural desire to ditch the conversation  to be alone.  I have to remind myself that God brought this person to me for a purpose.  This is not always easy, but I am working to be more open to what God has for me.

My countdown begins February 1^st, with about 39 months until my release on May 11, 2019.  Some guys count the days, but I’m not ready for that yet.  Maybe if I had a countdown clock that would track it for me, I would be more willing to track the days.  I’m sure there is an APP for that!!  J

Keep in mind that my numbers listed do not take into account any time for a half-way house release.  The soonest I would be eligible for that is November 2018.  Even then, I won’t know which half-way house I would go to.  My options are as random as a Vegas roulette wheel.  I could end up in Milwaukee, Janesville, or the Eau Claire County Jail.  These are the only options I have heard of that are used by the Federal Prison system.   I can also choose to stay in the Elkton prison and not take the Halfway house option.   Then I will walk out the front gate of this prison on May 11, 2019.  I don’t know yet which option to choose.  What I do know is that God has a plan for me and I will choose to TRUST Him when the time comes. 

For now, I am here and this is where God has plans for me.  So here I will wait…and here I will serve…

McFreedom

Galations 5:1

Here are the lyrics for a song that has real meaning in my life at this point.   It is called, “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller.  (check it out on YouTube)

“I’m waiting,  I’m waiting on you, Lord.  And I’m hopeful, I’m waiting on you, Lord.  Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait.”

“I will move ahead, bold and confident.  Taking every step in obedience.  While I’m waiting.”

“I will serve you, while I’m waiting.  I will worship, while I’m waiting.  I will not fail, I’ll be running the race, even while I wait.”

“I’m waiting, I’m waiting on you, Lord.  And I am peaceful, I’m waiting on you, Lord.  Though it’s not easy, but faithfully I will wait.  Because I will wait.”