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Sunday, February 05, 2012

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You are here :: Call To Action

Just Imagine. . . .

Imagine with me for a moment, you've lost the freedoms you hold dear,
you've been stripped of all dignity, you aren't free to visit your family
and they infrequently visit you, if ever. You share a small room with a
stranger, and privacy has become a distant memory. Circumstances
seem utterly hopeless, the weight of a bleak and uncertain future is
your ever-present companion. Everywhere you look emptiness stares
back. You have just entered the state penitentiary. As the heavy cold
bars to your cell door slam shut, you feel completely alone.

Now imagine in the midst of this seemingly hopeless quagmire, a ray of light pierces the darkness. A loving
person crosses your path. This individual befriends you despite your mistakes, has your best interest in mind,
believes in you when you've given up, graciously overlooks your past regrets, and passionately believes in
your inward potential.

Your new-found friend visits you regularly as you serve out your sentence. Acting as a source of
encouragement as well as enlightenment, this selfless individual pours into your life. Always ready to listen
before speaking, you are blessed with someone who genuinely cares about what you're feeling, as well as
experiencing. Ready to offer sound advice when necessary, this friend quickly becomes a mentor, lovingly
nudging you in the correct direction. Out of his selfless love, he encourages you to stay on the straight and
narrow.

Upon your release from the penitentiary reality sets in, freedom didn't solve all your problems. Being free didn't
remove all obstacles, it simply provided a whole new set. Wanting to leave your old life of crime behind, you
work hard to transition back into free society. But when money becomes tight, living conditions are wretched,
and you wonder if you'll ever break out of poverty; temptation begins to mount. You now understand why
nearly 70% of past offenders return to crime and, ultimately, prison. You are afraid that you'll end up as just
another repeat offender destined for incarceration.

Throughout the first year of your release, you continue to meet with your mentor. His friendship and desire to
see you remain free from incarceration is a constant encouragement. Acting as an accountability partner, he
helps keep you focused on the road ahead. Well aware of your genuine desire to change, he works to empower
you in reaching this acceptable goal. As the weeks turn into months, your confidence builds; you don't have to
return to your old ways. You are going to make it because you're different. You're different because you had a
selfless mentor in your life. Your mentor's selfless love was found in Christ Jesus. You found Christ Jesus because
of this selfless love.

Yes, its True. . .

Statistics show that 67% of inmates will find themselves behind bars within three years of their release. When
placed with a mentor, however, that number decreases to 20%. Meaning 80% of ex-offenders who receive one
visit a month for a year from a Friends In Transition mentor stay out of prison past the crucial 2 to 3 year mark.
Inmates are people too. People universally need other people. Especially those who selflessly care for their well-
being. People who believe in them when everyone else has given up. Ultimately, the greatest example we have
of this attitude is God our Father. He sees our every flaw, yet He never leaves or forsakes us. For those of us
who were blessed with good parents, we were able to see this type of love modeled from a young age. Many of
those in prison, however, have never seen such an expression. FIT mentors are many times the first person, in
a long while at least, who displays Christ-like care. The results are staggering. With a complete turnaround of the
national recidivism rate, the ex-offender is more times than not transformed into a stable individual and contribu-
-ting member of society. To God be the glory!