Randi's Reality

I think I have finally figured out the motives behind putting adults in jail.

You see, I used to think that jail was just somewhere they throw a bunch of criminals so that they can learn how to be better criminals. As my ex-boyfriend once said while he was in jail, "If I only knew then, what I know now....we could have done...."

But that is far from the case here. This place brings out the child in me. It brings out all my child-like tendencies.

What made me realize this was when I saw a picture that Bae-Bae was drawing of the Little Mermaid. I sat down beside her and started singing,

"I've got gadgets and gizmos of plenty.
I've got who-sits and whatsits galore..
You want thing-a-ma-bobs -
I've got twenty...
But who cares....
no big deal....
I want more......."

I sang the ENTIRE song with no problems remembering a single word. Then we talked about how we used to play "mermaids" in the pool when we were kids. The memories were so vivid! Oh how I wish I could play mermaids now! I would just swim away...

Anyhow...

Every day we get to go back to our childhood. Most of our time goes by playing arts and crafts. We pull out our markers and colored pencils and make cards, color and make Christmas decorations. Just like a child would do in school.

When we eat - we usually always get to play with our food - tearing our turkey or chicken legs apart. I have to wash my hands, AGAIN, before I even start eating because I make such a mess getting it prepared to eat.

We don't get napkins - we just wipe it on our clothes!

We have kool-aid to drink every meal. And we are too excited when they change the flavor!

Recess is our favorite time of the whole week - we look forward to the hour we get in the sunshine twice a week! We throw temper tantrums if they tell us we aren't going outside!

The guards even treat us like children most of the time! Giving us rules...and turning off the TV and phones if we don't obey them.

Ms. Louis likes to make us sit in the hallway in timeout when we are loud or talk back! She continually has to remind us to be quiet and "GET YA'LLS MINDS RIGHT!!" (We love you Ms. Louis!)

The best part about this place is that we are all babes in Christ! Even though I grew up in the church - I backslid for the past few years. And just like a lot of the women in here - we are all learning or re-learning what it means to be a Christian.

Ever time I open my Bible - I learn something new. Or get a new revelation of a Scripture that I have read before.

I am so thankful that God is such a forgiving God and through His grace, we are able to start anew...with a clean slate - a pure heart - and a child-like mind - excited and willing to grow and mature in a Christlike way - that we have never known before.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know, that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure." 1 John 3:1-3

PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for bringing us back to our childhood. So that we can be your children once again. Thank you, Father for your grace and forgiveness, and your laws and your justice.

"Correct me Lord, but only with justice, not in your anger. Lest you renounce me to nothing." Jeremiah 10:23

Randi Spearman
November 25, 2008