Someday
when I stand before God and give an accounting for all the good and bad things
I’ve done, I believe one thing that will please God greatly will be my visit to
the Wakulla Correctional Institute yesterday. As anyone who follows our blog
and tweets knows, authors of the John 3:16 Marketing Network have donated a
hundred books this last year for prisoners to read and critique. When Steve
Fox, the chaplain, said they could arrange for me to visit the prison, I jumped
at the opportunity.
After
spending a fortune this last month on car repairs, I felt comfortable driving
my old minivan on the two and a half hour trek from Gainesville to Tallahassee.
I was glad I had my trusty GPS—Wakulla Correctional is out in the backcountry
where I tend to get lost.
When I
arrived, I found the prison to be much larger than I expected, housing about
400 prisoners. Barbwire fence surrounded the complex and old, bunker style
buildings imparted the sterilized feeling of institutionalized living.
I have
been to prisons before as a court reporter and once as a musician, but whenever
I go back, the coldness seeps under my skin again. I think we all tend to
forget that some men (and women) enter and never leave. They live their lives secluded
behind a steel fence with very little to no outside contact with the world.
They have no computers and no phones. I suppose they have TV’s, but I got the
impression they are completely isolated from the outside world. They have solar
radios a Christian ministry paid for (about 150 that they can check out) but it
gets just one station — a Christian radio station. Actually, I don’t
think they even have TV’s.
Many of
them have jobs inside the prison, but for some of these guys, their
“entertainment” now centers on our books.
When I
arrived, Steve and Brenda, his wife, met me in the parking lot — and God was
already at work. It started pouring soon after, so we beat the rain by less
than a minute. Since they don’t allow purses or cameras or bags, all I could
take inside was my driver’s license—which I promptly handed over to the guard
at the door. Then you must remove your shoes and walk through a metal detector.
You are allowed to bring in one bottle of unopened water.
Once
inside, we went back to Steve’s office next to the chapel. After a few more
introductions and some instructions, we went in a side room off the chapel. I
walked into a large room and about fifty guys in blue prison uniforms sat in
chairs waiting for me. Three chairs had been placed at the front with a table,
so Steve sat in one and I sat in another, and Brenda sat beside the volunteer
who has helped with copying the reviews and getting them to me via email.
Just to
share a little tidbit about myself, for years, from grammar school forward, I
struggled with public speaking, but God has miraculously delivered me from that
fear since I started writing books. Talk about a deliverance —now I enjoy
sharing God’s love and what He has done in my life. Rather than feeling
afraid, I thanked God for the opportunity to visit the inmates.
The guys’
eyes lit up when they saw me enter the room. I was late arriving as it took me
longer than the two hours travel time I had allotted.
The first
question I asked was how many had read our books? Almost all of them raised
their hands. I then shared with them how much their reviews meant and the
encouragement we received from reading them. I told them how all of us
(authors) were amazed at how articulate and well written their reviews were.
As I
shared, I felt God among us, a connectedness that Christians experience when
Jesus is present. While I have felt it many times in my life, it was especially
powerful as I sat and talked with the inmates. The walls that separated us were
gone. I knew beyond all doubt that God was ministering to these prisoners
through our books.
For me to
come and personally thank them for their reviews might be a highlight event for
many all year. The men were mesmerized. Many looked astounded that our reviews
meant that much. I don’t think they had a clue, even though Steve has told
them. But hearing it directly from me as an author meant more than even Steve
could express to them. The volunteer said some of these guys have no one
that comes and visits them — ever! And for me to come and talk to them
one-on-one was very special.
I told the
men I wanted to connect their faces with the names with which I had become
familiar, having read so many of their reviews. I asked those who were willing to
tell me their name and what their favorite books were. We started with the guy
who had read the most books — 89 books! After the third person, I realized I
needed to take notes, so someone gave me a piece of paper and pen, and I
started jotting down names so I could share with others later what they said.
I have
listed here as many of the books as I can remember with links to Amazon. If you
were to have a chat with these guys about their favorite books, these are the
ones they would tell you to read.
After a
while, I noticed other guys in the room jotting down things — like they wanted to jump up and get a book
before someone else grabbed it. Steve had brought in all the books so they were
sitting on a cart.
Steve later
told me the men walk around with the books under their arms in
between different activities. The volunteer said the prisoners take
writing the reviews seriously. They will even share with
other prisoners what they have written and ask, “Do you think this sounds
okay?”
In
addition to helping the inmates spiritually, we are also helping them to
develop job skills for when they leave prison, and many of these guys will get
out eventually. They can add “book reviewer” to their job resumes.
I was
surprised when a couple of guys asked about my “Children of Dreams” book, like
getting on a moped in a foreign country with someone I didn’t know. Was I
scared? One guy had my book in his hand. I had no idea so many had read that
book. It’s hard to imagine prisoners reading an adoption book written by a
single woman who traveled around the world. Then I realized, these books
are an escape for them. From time travel to world travel to inner healing
travel, they are being delivered both physically and spiritually to a different
place—one of healing, hope, and forgiveness.
I shared
that their reviews are being read by thousands of people on the web as I post
them to twitter and the John 3:16 blog, and that people then repost the tweets
and share with others. The inmates don’t have access to the Internet so they
were surprised to learn that their reviews are being read by so many bloggers
and tweeters.
The men wanted
to know how Christian authors joined the network — and I explained to them that
authors ask to join and I screen them so that those who are in the network are
sincere, dedicated Christians. Many asked, “Can we have one of the authors in
the network to come see us each month?” Wouldn’t that be awesome if we
could set that up?
At 3pm, we
had to end because the prisoners had to be back for roll call, but I was able
to shake their hands and encourage them as they left. Many wrote personal notes
on a sheet of paper that I want to share here:
“Thank you
for your time and help.” Booker T.
“Thank you
for taking the time out. God Bless.” Clyde
“Keep
writing! God is using you. God bless.” Michael
“Thank you
so much for coming. I really enjoyed “Children of Dreams” and “Gatehaven.”
Jeremy C.
“Thank all
the authors for allowing us to read their books.” Paul
“Thanks
for all the books.” Charlie
“Thank you
so much. In my Christian walk, I’ve come to realize there are no coincidences,
so this is truly all God’s plan.” Richard.
“Thank you
for the opportunity to read good, wholesome material. God bless you all.”
Stuart C.
“May the
Lord bless your ministry and continue to inspire you in your writing.” Ronald
P, with a smiley face.
“Thank you
for believing in us and giving us this opportunity.” Bill C.
“I would
love to see both book 2’s of Amanda Washington.” Clyde.
“Thank
you, in Christ Jesus.” Jaxon.
I closing,
I want to share one thing I said to them. I’ll paraphrase it here.
“I know
you guys are in here for doing something wrong and are paying your dues, but
you are gifted, intelligent, articulate, loved by God, and have a soul. I want
to change the stereotypical image that people have of prisoners—that they have
no worth to society. I want you to know how much we appreciate what you are
doing and what it means to us. Your reviews get the most re-tweets of all the
tweets I send out and are viewed every month by thousands. Hopefully, I can get
this out in a broader way to the media in the future."
Later, the
volunteer shared with me how much that meant to her. I’m sure if my words
touched her heart, they had to have touched the hearts of the prisoners also.
Jesus
said in Matthew 25:40: “When you did it to these my
brothers, you were doing it to me!”
Thank you,
John 3:16 Authors, for all the books you have sent to the prison. They have a
home forever at the Wakulla Correctional Institute.
Thank you, Steve Fox, for being
the conduit at Wakulla Correctional and making all of this possible. And thank you, Jesus,
for multiplying the gift of writing into a ministry far greater than anything
we could have imagined. I look forward to us being together in heaven.
*~*~*~*
The
final batch of books will be delivered to Wakulla Correctional sometime in
September. At that point over 150 Christian books will have been donated to the
library. I anticipate we will close this project out by the end of the year
since our goal to restock the library will be accomplished. I sense God calling
us to another ministry opportunity, perhaps a school, prison, or something we
haven’t even imagined. If God has put something on your heart where our books
would be welcomed, please leave a comment and contact information. I (Lorilyn
Roberts) will get back with you.
