Dirty Diapers: Handle With Care

I guess you have already surmised by the title of this blog it’s going to get a little messy. It isn’t bad timing either as we are right in the middle of the big “Super-Pampers” fiasco. Moms all over the world are seething at the sight of little, blistered baby bottoms. “Watch out corporate giant you have really messed with the wrong end of the consumer conscience this time.”

I have a good Pastor/friend of mine who always used to say, “With baby Christians, comes dirty diapers.” It is an interesting way of putting it to say the least. But there is a lot of truth packed in that little maxim. As we minister to the offenders in our Christ-centered dorms each day there are often a variety of sticky situations that arise. Most of it just can’t be made up it is so off the charts. We really are baffled sometimes about the depths and depravity that a sinful life can take an individual too. And even more interesting and challenging is when they ask for your guidance to help them navigate their way out of it from here.

The “here” is now that they are following Christ and sincerely want to know and do God’s will (bless their hearts). But let me assure you Christopher Columbus on his best day, with his best maps, doesn’t have the navigational skill and fortitude it is going to take to steer them free from the mazes they have created.

The first thing I want you to remember as we look at just one scenario that we often deal with in the prison is GOD LOVES THESE PEOPLE. Yep, there is no doubt about it the Lord is absolutely head over heels in love with His new, baby Christians. I pity the fool who gets in the way of their faith and relationship with Him. Satan has had them under his control for a long time, and I’m sure the Lord has spared their lives on multiple occasions just so He could enjoy this new season with them as their Father. He is like a doting mother with a newborn that has been a long time coming. That being said let me share with you a real life “dirty diaper” of many new Christians that we are asked to help change and dispose of everyday.

Susie (name changed to protect the innocent) calls me aside after I have given a riveting (just kidding) class on the love of God.
I ask her how she is doing and how I can help her.
Susie looks up at me with tears in her eyes and says, “Devon, I was wondering what I should do about my husband. Well, actually he’s not my husband, but we have a kid together. Well, we actually have a couple of kids together, my daughter is ours and our boy is his from him and another lady.”
I say “Uh huh.”
And she goes on to say, “You see, I also have three other kids, but I don’t have custody of them and they are from three different dads, which is not really a big deal because one of their dads is in prison and he ain’t never getting out, and one of them drank himself to death, and the other one, well I don’t know where he is.” And I say “Uh huh,”
and she says (now with tears filling the floor around us both) “I want to do what is right by Jesus. But my current boyfriend doesn’t know the Lord, and he drinks, and he does drugs (usually a dealer), but he takes real good care of our kids (Really?). So what should I do?”
To which I firmly and wisely reply, “Uh huh?”
Susie then says, “Devon, should I divorce my husband/boyfriend or are we even married since we just lived together for a year (known in Texas as common law marriage) before I got locked up this third time, since he’s out cheating on me anyway?”
To which I can only reply (by this time ready to cry myself), you guessed it, “Uh huh.”

Now let me remind you again, this is a conversation my partners and I have actually had with many women on many different occasions. I don’t think even “Super-Pampers” without all their current trouble in the press could even begin to clean this mess up. Now, can I ask you something? What would you say to this girl if she asked you what to do?

God bless you all, Devon.