Saturday, February 8, 2020 -
Today I had an interesting encounter with “G.” He’s been here longer than me, and like me, originally hails from the New York City area but had migrated to Virginia. He’s also in his late 60s, closer in age to me than most other men. So we have some things in common. I forget the name of his religious cult, in which they try to achieve perfection of their own will and effort. But it begins with the letter “R” and seems to be completely made up of blacks who wear black knit hats with yellow, green, and red horizontal bands (Note: Rastafarianism).
“G” was pretty much a lifetime heroin addict, which caused him to become a drug dealer, which resulted in his prison sentence. A former merchant marine and longtime employee of American Airlines, he’s traveled the world. I’ve shared the gospel and plan of salvation with him on several occasions, and he is now the bunkmate of “JW,” who is a dynamic Christian brother. “JW,” along with “E,” a new believer, and me, pray for “G’s” salvation all the time.
But “G” has a very foul mouth and is perhaps one of the most negative people I’ve ever met, so I really don’t like to be around him if I can help it. My last conversation with him happened while I was ironing my uniforms in the common room, or “library” (which is not really a library, just a place we put books when we are finished reading them). I mentioned that I’d filed a motion with my sentencing judge to vacate my sentence and that it actually seemed as if the judge had found some merit in it. That set “G” off on one of his negative tirades, stating that it’ll never happen because the prosecutor, or government, wouldn’t go along, and the courts would never admit that a mistake was made.
So ever since then, when I’ve prayed for “G’s” salvation, I’ve thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful when my sentence is actually vacated that ‘G’ would see God’s hand was upon me, and it would lead to ‘G’s’ salvation!” You just never know!
Today “G” stopped me and said, “Hey, Moses, you need to part the Red Sea.” I asked why are he called me Moses. He said, “Well, I’ve heard others call you Moses.” I then said, “Moses didn’t part the Red Sea anyway, God did that.” He then said something that I don’t recall to dispute that, and I left him, not knowing what in the world he was getting at. Anyways, please pray that “G” will come to know the Lord.