This verse brought special comfort to us this week as we watched the Lord intervene and protect Samuel in a very real, faith-building way.
So on Monday I put this status on facebook, but really couldn't say much at the time...
It wouldn't be until Tuesday afternoon when I was allowed to go visit
him that we would get the whole story....
About a week before this visit, Samuel had finally been moved off of Intake into a regular unit. He was put with a gentleman named "Magic". Magic quickly let Samuel know that he is a self-proclaimed satan-worshiper. Though this made Samuel gulp a little... :) - he knew he would probably have ample opportunity to witness to him. They indeed had several conversations about the Bible, and Magic seriously conveyed that "Lucifer is the good guy." Samuel told him if that were so, then why was Lucifer the one thrown out of Heaven?! Anyway, Magic also told Samuel in no uncertain terms what he thought about the Bible, etc etc. Magic made it very plain to Samuel from the git-go that he didn't want him in his cell, and that he had put in a new celly request. After a few days of Magic trying to provoke Samuel into a fight - Samuel was glad that Magic had put in that request. Magic is about twice Samuel's size - and Samuel told him it would be stupid for him to fight him. (He knew Magic was trying to provoke him into a fight so Samuel would get taken to Seg (Segregation, also known as 'the hole' or solitary confinement)).
When we visited him on Saturday, Samuel mentioned that Magic really wanted him out of his cell, but as of that point, Magic had not touched Samuel. On Saturday afternoon after our visit, Samuel was in his cell trying to write someone a letter, when Magic began doing things to really annoy him. He would keep swishing a rag in his face, and while they were laying on their bunks (Samuel is in the upper bunk), Magic would reach up and do annoying things like stick his fingers in Samuel's ears, or up his nose; he would wipe his hands on his face and do other annoying things. At first Samuel just tried to ignore him figuring he would stop, and when that didn't work, he started telling him to leave him alone, stop bothering him, etc etc. There was one incidence when Magic reached over and caressed Samuel's face with the back of his fingers and started calling him "my pet turtle." By this time Samuel is starting to get a little freaked out (ya think?). Another time, while Samuel was down on the floor trying to get his lockbox out from underneath the bed, Magic pins his head to the floor with his foot and wouldn't let him up until Samuel knocked his foot off. He realized things were taking a serious turn and although he didn't want to fight, he was prepared to protect himself.
Later that evening the CO's (Correction Officers) did an impromptu inspection of Samuel's unit, and while the CO was going through Samuel's belongings, she found a razor blade. That is an offense that usually gets one thrown into Seg -- no questions asked! She did ask Samuel though, if he could enlighten her as to why he had a razor blade in his belongings. He raised both hands in a "hands off" gesture and told he had no CLUE as to how that got in there, that it wasn't his, and he had never seen it before. (That's what they all say...). He showed her the one razor he owned and that he had brought
that from Dodge with him.
For whatever reason, she believed him, and thank God, did not take him to Seg. (Samuel had conveyed to us at an earlier time, that his social worker had told him that the CO's told her that Samuel was an easy-going, friendly guy, pretty much kept to himself, and never caused problems). We do sense that God has given him favor and that he has gained a positive reputation.
Regardless, the razor blade was slipped down between two pieces of paper in a clear plastic paper protector/cover in his outtake folder - so it was hidden pretty well. We don't know if Magic planted it there hoping to get Samuel thrown into Seg to get him out of his cell, or if he had it stashed (in Samuel's belongings of course instead of his own) with plans to use it for evil purposes later on...we will never know...Thank God.
The next day, Sunday, Magic continued to annoy and taunt Samuel, even telling him he didn't have the *stomach* to call the CO's (there's an intercom button in each cell). Samuel told him would if he had to - so Magic said, "Oh yeah?" and pushed the button himself. So when the CO answered, Samuel explained that Magic wouldn't leave him alone and is continually annoying him and trying to goad him into a fight. Magic sat there shocked that Samuel actually did it, as the CO came and took Samuel out of the cell and spoke with him privately. He also spoke with Magic privately as well. The CO told Samuel that since it was Sunday, nothing could be done that night and he would have to wait until the unit manager would come in the next day to take care of this. So Samuel had to spend another night with Magic - he mostly kept his hands to himself the remainder of the evening. Samuel was able to call us on Sunday afternoon and although he couldn't give many details on the phone, he did ask for prayer.
On Monday morning Samuel was informed that the unit manager wasn't coming in that day. He was a little chagrined, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He called us again and we talked through the Armor of God, and we reminded him that "greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world" and that there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. I told him if he felt he needed to - to read the scriptures out loud and pray out loud when Magic would start acting weird or menacing. Pastor encouraged us to remind him "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7.
Magic had a tendency to listen to very heavy metal rock and would always act frenzied and agitated in the cell when he would listen to it. Samuel would ask him to please put his earbuds in (your cellmate is required to do that if you don't want to listen to their music or television programs). Each time Magic refused. At lunchtime on Monday, Magic was acting "peculiar" and when lunch was finished they headed back to their cell for lockdown. When Samuel got back to the cell, Thomas, Magic's friend and fellow satan-worshiper was standing at the cell opening and after Samuel went in and the door closed behind him, he continued to stand there waiting for something while watching them through the window. Soon though, Thomas had to head to his own cell, and Magic began acting very frenzied and agitated. (This is where it gets really weird - so hang on - and remember, most of you know us - this isn't something we do everyday..... :-p ). Magic began jumping up onto the desk and then onto the stool and was screaming (Samuel said it sounded like a cat wailing). He began hissing and his tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth. He also had red marks that had suddenly appeared on his hands. Samuel was slightly freaked out. He said Magic was slobbering all over his shirt, pants, and all over the floor. Samuel tried to move around him to grab his Bible out of his lockbox - when Magic started grabbing for it. Samuel wouldn't give it to him (he figured he was going to try to tear it up), and jumped up on his bed and just started reading Scripture out loud. (He said he was looking for the passage about the demon possessed man of the Gadarenes, but couldn't find it. :)) Magic bent over to get something out of his lockbox, when Samuel prayed to the Lord out loud that if this was a demon to remove it far from him.
Immediately Magic quieted, the red spots disappeared off his hands (?) and he stood up erect and asked Samuel where he had been the last 15 minutes and what he had been doing. Samuel proceeded to tell him he was demon-possessed. Magic said, "No way! That's not me!" Samuel assured him it was and to look at his shirt, pants, and floor where he had slobbered everywhere. Samuel was ready to be OUT of that cell! He called the CO and told him, "You've got to get me out of here! This guy is demon possessed!" So they pulled Samuel out again and although the CO sorta smirked at first, Samuel said he could tell he believed him and told him that he would take care of it.....while meanwhile he had to go back to his cell...
He didn't hear back from the CO that night and...had to spend ANOTHER night with Magic in the cell. He didn't sleep too good, but Magic had done a COMPELTE turnaround and totally left him alone and was amenable the rest of the night. The next morning the unit manager arrived and pulled Samuel out and questioned him about the last few days. Samuel told her everything. She was very unhappy about the caressing, and "my pet turtle" part. (Yeah me too, lady). She told Samuel that that behavior fell under PREA(Prison Rape Elimination Act) and she was not happy that Samuel had been left in that cell. After Samuel was finished she asked him if he minded if she called Magic in - Samuel told her not at all - to please do. When Magic arrived and was questioned, he denied everything. Everything! He even tried to make out like Samuel was crazy and that he had been the one doing all of the weird things. When he started complaining to her though, about making him miss his dayroom, etc - she looked at Samuel and he could tell she believed him. She told them, "You BOTH could end up in Seg because of this," and then had them return to their cells while she went to talk to a "White Shirt" about the situation. Back to the cell. Again.
When they got back to their cells, Samuel began packing up his belongings. Magic asked, "What are you doing?" Samuel reminded him that the UM had said that they could both end up in Seg, or at the very least Samuel was going to probably be moved out. Magic told him, "You're not leaving! Not until I finish putting a hex on your soul!!" Samuel told him, "You aren't putting a hex on MY soul! Jesus Christ lives in me, and HE controls MY soul!" Magic left him alone. An interesting thought that Lee pointed out is, this man was twice Samuel's size and he could have pummeled him anytime he chose. But Lee thinks he was afraid of Samuel - not because of Samuel - but because of Who was living inside of him! It wasn't long before the CO intercommed into the room and told MAGIC to pack his stuff, that HE was leaving! He was livid, Samuel said, and cursed him up and down and poured water all over the room and made a mess before he left. Samuel didn't care. He was glad to see him go. Magic was mad, because this whole thing backfired on him! They moved him to a completely different wing.
Samuel thought his problems were over until he went to lunch. When Magic's group of friends realized that he was gone and Samuel was still here - they kept glaring at him and gesturing and nodding toward him and he felt a little frightened by their intimidation. Samuel was the new one on this unit and didn't really know anyone very well and hadn't really made any friends yet. There was one young man that had been cellmates with Samuel for a few days, Buford (who had his own group of friends) - and for whatever reason came over to Samuel and asked if he could have lunch with him that day and catch up! Samuel was thrilled to have another body there! Buford and he chatted and he was an encouragement to Samuel when he told him that he had given his new celly a copy of Samuel's written testimony and his celly thought it was really cool and thought Samuel would be encouraged by hearing that. He was! He felt like God was letting him know that He's there with him and using him. He went to his cell afterwards and had the best two hour nap he has had in a long time!!!
At the next dayroom, that same group of guys was looking Samuel over again, and although he didn't feel like he was in imminent danger (the CO's had told him earlier that they have "eyeballs" on him at all times), he did feel intimidated. There was another group of guys that are older, 23 and 24, and more mature, that called him over and said, "Hey Shelton! Come over here. You hang with us. We'll show you how to play Spades." Samuel said they were letting that other group know that "he's with us - and you can't bother him." Samuel said they are a "buff" group of guys and he was relieved that they took him "under their wing" so to speak. I smiled because I knew Who's Wing he is under and am thankful to the Lord for His protection over Samuel, no matter what form it takes. :) They have continued to make him part of their group every dayroom and rec time. Praise the Lord.
Meanwhile at home, Lee and I are having to learn to trust and pray and trust and pray some more. He belongs to God. Lee and Pastor both said that we can't live 9 1/2 years anxious and worried over his well-being. He's in God's Hands - the safest place to be. We do appreciated your prayers.
Our faith would be stretched again, when on Friday I would once again call on my Facebook Prayer Warriors!!! ....
We had no word of him until Sunday morning when they allowed them to have ONE dayroom so they could call their *worried* families. He didn't know much, just that we wouldn't be able to visit on Sunday either, and that they were still under full lockdown.
Finally today, Monday June 30th, he was able to call again and say that they are under partial lockdown, but that I should be able to go visit him tomorrow. He said the Warden sent them all letters telling them that there had been two huge fights out on the Rec fields, and also that the CO's had found some pretty bad stuff in several cells. Those guys are in big trouble. All I could think about is THANK GOD they found that razor blade (MAGIC's razor blade) in Samuel's belongings earlier that week - or he would be in BIG trouble himself. Once again - God protected him. I know I am an ol' sap - but I weep every time I write about God protecting and watching over my boy.
Thank you dear friends for continuing to uphold our family in prayer. You are all PRECIOUS to us!
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