The Clink

>> Sunday, March 23, 2008

OK. As you all know, I seldom post, and most of it is nonsense anyways, but I have really been thinking about something over the past couple days and felt I should share.

So on Good Friday, I found myself in the clink. Actually, it was two, and suprisingly my wife ended up at the big house twice as well. Why? Because we needed our fingers printed. See, we just adopted an almost terrible two year old, and if that wasn't crazy enough, we spent Friday riding from jailhouse to jailhouse looking for someone to take my stupid fingerprints.

The ironic part was, I had my Jersey prints with me, we have been fingered three times in the state of Florida, twice federally and once locally. You might even say I am one of those sick puppies who just loves to have his fingers inked, so that when I walk into Walmart at 3 AM with my finger ink dried and stained, people wonder about me. Not necessarily afraid of me, but definitely hug your children tight kind of nervousness ... but I digress ....

Unfortunately, for us, the state we were adopting from would not accept prints from Jersey, or Florida, or anywhere else ... so there we were, driving around looking for any cop who would be willing to ink us. The second clink we drove up to happened to be the winner. The nice officer took us to the main control room for this jail/police station. I had my newly adopted son with me and I am pretty sure I made a couple stupid jokes about the drunk tanks we passed with the blue phones and metal benches.

Then it happened. I looked up at a board that was filled with names, ages, sex, etc. There were 11 prisoners in this jail this past Friday. Of those 11, 9 were black males, one was a black female, and one was a white male. There was only one name that had a bond amount next to it. Only one person in that block who had an opportunity to leave that day. Who was it? Yep, the white guy.

All the sudden I was overcome with emotion. Of course this adoption was a "good thing." I knew we were making the "right decision." Here I was, in the same city that my little 2 Yr B/M was born in, and in that moment I felt ... like a thief. Yep, a thief who was looking up at a board and understanding that I just stole my baby's future from him.

What future did we steal? This son of mine will NOT be looked at as another big city statistic. He will no longer sleep on the floor. He will get 3 square meals. He will experience love in his life. He will experience joy. He will grow up in a stable environment. There will be no "social status" that will keep him down. If he wants to go to college, I will send him. He will not know what a gang is except for what he reads in books and sees on TV. He will have opportunity after opportunity that other children left behind in his situation will never have. Most importantly he will he will come to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior!

And lastly my prayer is that when Satan gets distracted for even a moment, when through his arrogance he believes he has already won, that my son will know how to slip into the enemy's camp, a thief for his God, and steal the very thing that we stole this week... another soul and another blood line for the Kingdom of God.

18 Groupies:

Is Eight Enough? March 23, 2008 at 9:46 PM  

Profound! It sure makes one think.

Congratulations on your precious boy. I read your blog with great anticipation every day - for the last 9 months. This last week has been such a wonderful surprise!

Justine

Sherry March 23, 2008 at 10:53 PM  

What a powerful testimony Brian.

crispy March 24, 2008 at 5:10 AM  

I love it when you share part of your heart. =)

-Cris

Tracie March 24, 2008 at 5:24 AM  

YES!!! YES!!!!
Thank you for sharing your heart on this, Brian.

When we brought our daughter home after adopting her, an older woman in church came up to me and laid her hand on top of Elia's tiny head and said, "She just got her destiny back."

Jameson just got his destiny back. The enemy lost.

Tereasa March 24, 2008 at 5:34 AM  

Wow, you *are* a rockstar!

Laura Lu March 24, 2008 at 8:40 AM  

AMEN! One at a time, we just keep reaching out for one at a time! Oh that more God-fearing Believers would rise up and accept the call to adopt. Oh that one by one every child would know that they are loved and they have a hope and future in Jesus Christ. And oh how I pray that the Holy Spirit would move in a mighty way across this nation to open the hearts of His children to save one child at a time!

junglemama March 24, 2008 at 8:41 AM  

What a touching perspective. It is amazing what touches us. THanks for sharing Brian.

Mrs. Hammer Time March 24, 2008 at 2:35 PM  

Yeah!!! The Rockstar speaks!!! I love your outlook and insight. Thanks for sharing! It was def eye opening and inspiring.

Emily March 24, 2008 at 2:57 PM  

Amen! Wonderfully said :) Enjoy your new little boy!

Annie March 24, 2008 at 3:22 PM  

I knew Courtney was incredible (so figured you were, too)...and you ARE! You ROCK! God bless you.

Anonymous March 25, 2008 at 11:15 AM  

Praise God! That was poetic and beautiful. You Rock.
Love to you and the whole gang.

6blessings March 25, 2008 at 1:05 PM  

That's what it is all about!

Natalie March 26, 2008 at 11:29 AM  

wow!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Crystal March 26, 2008 at 2:48 PM  

Amazing testimony. Praise God for your obedience to His call.

Anonymous April 5, 2008 at 7:54 AM  

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Steph C. April 7, 2008 at 1:53 AM  

Awesome! I am breathing a sigh of relief for your new little guy...

Anonymous April 17, 2008 at 11:09 AM  

I love this post. So touching... and so true! Congrats on your new little boy.

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