“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Sam. 16:7
It is typical for us as humans to judge things based on what it looks like from the outside. We are so quick to make our opinions just by looks and this is something that is done so often in a prison environment. I’ve quickly learned that many inmates with a rough and tough exterior are soft as cotton on the inside and vice versa. Several inmates come off put together and presentable, yet they are a miserable wreck on the inside. Just like the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” we shouldn’t evaluate anything or anyone based on their exterior. A book with a dingy cover doesn’t mean that it’s not filled with beautiful truths. The same goes for an extremely attractive person, that doesn’t mean they are not hurting internally. Personally, it takes a lot for me to show my emotions, so it’s hard for family/ friends to view me. If I’m hurting deep down inside, and I don’t make it known, I am only confining myself emotionally. Sometimes it’s okay to wear your heart on your sleeve. And sometimes the change needs to be done inside yourself first, before you can help others. The truth of the matter is that if we flipped a lot of things inside out, we would truly see the pain and suffering going on inside. Once you realize the change needs to start from within, you will begin to lift the emotional confinement.
We tend to bottle up a lot of issues causing them to consume our thoughts and actions. I believe it is best when people can see our insides out, cause then we honestly know what we are dealing with. An attractive exterior is dangerous because when people around you think things are good, the problem will never be cured.
As I entered into my incarceration, I had always envisioned that prison had come a long way, and that in the 21st century, there would be more productivity for inmates than ever before. I had thought based on the outward appearance that the prison system worked somewhat. I learned very quickly that looks can be deceiving and it was from that moment on that I knew that to make any changes, the inside of this place needed to be out. I can confidently say, that no matter your situation or circumstances, change must begin from within. Unfortunately, those in charge of this place, and at the highest level will never see this place inside out. They will continue to judge the system based on the outward appearance and believe that it’s effective. I guess it’s no different than when we view others and give them value by their exterior looks. In both cases, we need to get past the outward and look at the inward.
~~~ WE NEED TO LOOK FROM THE INSIDE OUT~~~
An inmate said to me tonight randomly, “I’d rather live my life like there’s a God and find out there’s not when I die, then to live my life like there is no God and when I die find out there is.”
More on that tomorrow… Good Night.
