Can the prison experience be good? Inmates are crammed into small cells or overcrowded dorms like sardines, surrounded by some of the most difficult personalities on the planet, and ordered around by self - righteous, often power hungry and abusive authority figures. The cramped living quarters are physically and emotionally uncomfortable. The lack of privacy is exhausting, and the empty nature of prison friendships is socially unfulfilling. The boredom is mind - numbing. The loneliness can be crushing, and the inflexible power inbeds anger into one's personality. The incarcerated person is completely isolated from loved ones - few things hurt more than knowing your friends and family have moved on without you. Perhaps the hardest pill to swallow, however, is knowing this is all self - inflicted. After all, if you admit it's your fault, you are then responsible.
There is no escaping the fact that I am responsible for an incredible amount of devastation. I've brought suffering to my victim , my family, and myself and I cannot move forward with my life until I acknowledge that. But when I finally realize I am the problem, something miraculous happens: I also realize I can do something about the problem. I find purpose. The time I'm serving in prison becomes an opportunity to change how I view the world, how I treat others, and how I meet my needs. However, I cannot accomplish that on my own. I need God's help. But if I'm committed to learning how to become a better man, God has promised to help. "And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Rom.8:28)
God is interested in transforming me into an instrument of light, and He will use the difficult experiences of incarceration to bring about changes in me that I cannot completely understand. But I've got to do my part. I've got to live like I believe it. How I view my situation will determine how I live while I'm here. I am not the victim. The selfishness of my past put me here. But if the selfish deeds of my past led to my present incarceration, what might my present positive actions lead to in the future... if I give my present to Him... on purpose?
Eric Burnham #12729124
2500 Westgate
Pendleton, OR 97801
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