As Christians, I think we sometimes believe we are (or should be) exempt from the trials of life. And even if we know that not to be true, in our desire to draw others to Christ, I’m afraid we give off that impression at times. I believe one of the first things we should clear up with a non-believer is that we recognize life is hard. It is just so hard. The only thing that sets us apart is hope. As believers we have hope where otherwise there would be none. Regardless of the circumstances or even the outcome – we have hope. Romans 5:3-4 tells us the formula: troubles produce patience, which produces character, which results in hope. As we look around, we see that none of us are immune from troubles. We witness in our own lives death, disease, divorce, abortion, drugs, alcohol, accidents, bankruptcy, hurricanes, infertility, blindness, runny noses and the terrible-twos. Trials do not discriminate. So why become a believer if everything remains the same? Oh, but it doesn’t. I truly believe that as Christians, many times the outcome is different and it always works to further God’s kingdom. I also wonder how many battles are being fought on my behalf that I know nothing about simply because I belong to the Lord. And so, I have hope. I would like to share with you a story fully expecting it to offer hope to someone who is facing the same difficulty. This is the life story of a young woman who has battled drugs for many years and because of her addiction, her life is very different from what God had planned for her. As you read this, pray for her; she is about to journey in a new direction. This is the story of an inmate at the MS Department of Corrections. This is my sister-in-law . . .
My name is Geana. I am 30 years old and am currently living in prison. I am serving a 5 year sentence for burglary of dwelling. Let me take you back to the age of 13. I was raised in a middle-class neighborhood by Christian parents and have 2 older brothers. I was adopted by my mother and father but they are my parents. I was raised with my biological mother in and out of my life. I started smoking weed when I was 13 years old. I also started drinking with my friends and thought I was cool. By the age of 15 I had tried LSD, acid, and cocaine. I got kicked out of school my freshman year for possession of marijuana. I went to youth court and was banned from all schools in our district. I then moved out of state to live with my oldest brother but got in trouble at school for fighting. I moved back home and went to private school. I began drinking and smoking weed on a daily basis. I got in trouble again for drinking at school and at the age of 16 and 3 schools later, I dropped out. Things only got worse. I learned how to hustle to keep up my habit and make money. At 18 years old I moved out of my parents’ home and started using drugs heavily. I began to take pills, smoke weed, do cocaine, and any other drug that I came across. I also sold every drug I used to support my habit, pay my bills, and party with my friends. By this time in my life partying had become a lifestyle. I carried a gun with me everywhere I went because the life I once enjoyed became dangerous. There would be times I would be making a deal and there would be shootings. I’ve seen people almost beaten to death and once had to take a friend of mine to the hospital after having my windshield shattered from a guy trying to rob me. I’ve seen a guy in shock because his body was burned from head to toe after an explosion while manufacturing – he almost died.
I got pregnant when I was 20. Nine months later I gave my son up for adoption to a wonderful Christian family. My life only became more dangerous. At 22 I learned to manufacture methamphetamine. This drug game was the most dangerous. There were times I stayed up so long I became delusional and thought my own family was out to get me. It had come to a point where I had pushed my family out of my life and I was on a suicide mission – self destruction. I was 25 years old when I was arrested for burglary. I was on the run and finally turned myself in. I sat in jail for many months. My parents were afraid to bond me out for fear of what I would do next. Every time their phone rang they wondered if it would be the police or the coroner. My life had been nothing to brag about. After almost overdosing on a shot of meth, I was busted for manufacturing in 2004. I was already on probation for burglary, still getting high, and finding my way around monthly drug tests. That morning I had taken a shot of meth that was too much for me. I blacked out and felt as if I was going to die. Once I came around I didn’t care that I had almost died, I only cared that I was high. That afternoon I noticed a helicopter above me everywhere I went. I returned to a friend’s house where we were manufacturing and they either said I was paranoid, didn’t believe me, or didn’t care. So I took another shot of meth. Before we got out the door, we were swarmed by law enforcement and I was arrested for manufacturing. I was released to drug court and stayed clean for awhile. Soon I began to miss the fast life and began to manufacture and sell again. In my mind I thought I was okay because I wasn’t getting high. But I knew in my heart if I didn’t change I would end up in prison – and I did. Now I sit here from day to day and see the burn marks on my arms, I think about the days I spent sick because I needed a fix, I remember the days I wanted to die because I was sticking a needle in my arm – something I said I would never do. In the end, I lost my dignity, my self-respect, my son, years with my family, and my freedom. Coming to prison has been the best thing that could have happened to me but it has been the worst experience of my life. Drugs have taken a toll on my memory and my emotions. I have been a prisoner of my own mind for so long that I am having to learn how to live and feel again. Prison has been no picnic – you eat when they tell you to, if you can even eat the food, you go to bed when they tell you to. Your life is controlled by the guards. It has been a very emotional experience. I hope some day I can help others before it is too late for them.
Geana will be coming home soon and she has set some goals for herself. She plans on going to college. Part of her sentencing was the requirement she obtain her GED, which she has done. She hopes to use her experiences to help others and we are praying that door will open for her. She included her address which I chose not to publish. However, I would be glad to forward any correspondence to her. I pray that you will remember Geana and our family as she prepares for a new beginning.
Posted at 12:35 PM
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Dear Tammy,
Thank you for sharing Gena's story with us. I know more and more people who are in prison and more and more people held captive to drugs and alcohol. It is definitely one of Satan's powerful weapons, and I'm tired of seeing him use it so effectively!
When Gena gets out and settled, please give us an update. I want to pray for her now.
Dear Jesus,
Please fill Gena with Yourself and an overwhelming sense of Your presence. Let her one desire be to please You and You alone. You said You came to set the captives free, please free her from any and all desires to drink or be involved in drugs. Free her from any cravings for evil. Instead, put in her heart a craving for more of You.
Gena will be going through a lot of changes as she leaves prison. Please be extra close to her. Send her godly friends and role models, send her a church family that will stand and walk beside her as she journies toward wellness and a new life. Provide her with the work You have for her to do so she can make a living. Use Gena and her experiences to bring glory to Yourself by rescuing others who may be on the same path. Take Gena's broken past and remake it into something stronger and more beautiful than she could ever imagine.
I ask all this in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen
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