Thriving…a Lifestyle For All

As our regular readers know, our work is focused on those men who have committed sexually deviant offenses in their past and are in prison.  I have not yet written a post on the negative comments we receive on a regular basis and all the open hostility we endure from our co-workers…and from others who learn about the challenges that we have dedicated our lives to reaching.  It is disappointing and heart-wrenching to be judged cruelly but it does not hinder our determination to fulfill our goals.

When I first started doing this work, I was SHOCKED (and I admit that I was naive regardless of my age) that my co-workers would be so openly judgmental regarding the career-choice of those of us who choose to do this work.  It did not occur to me that my character would be linked to the men I teach…to those that I (and my fellow Counselors) endeavor to lead…those for whom we patiently stand and hold the light at the end of the tunnel for those men who have recognized the wretchedness of their past mistakes.  They are are nearly all of their waking hours for two years or more…working their way up (and sometimes down) the “tunnel” on their way to making the greatest change of their lives.  Not every man makes it – unfortunate but true – but as my colleagues and I witness the dedication with which the majority of these men tackle the hardest work of their lives, we often stand in awe.  The phrase “blood, sweat and tears” is appropriate in the case of so many of the men who achieve the end result of the Program.  We have what we call “Transition Ceremonies,” for those who successfully complete all the mind-bending and TRULY LIFE CHANGING tasks.  The majority of these men work harder during this Program than the entirety of the work they did to get through High School.  (To be all inclusive – we usually have college graduates in every group…many times there are professional men such as lawyers, doctors, school teachers, college professors, and every other job or profession you can mention.)  They too have had to work harder and this is the reason it is more difficult:  For the first time, they are facing life / working (mentally, emotionally and physically) in group and are for the first time are TELLING THE TRUTH about what they have done.  All (YES, ALL) new group members are held accountable to the TRUTH of their crime of incarceration and within a few months, those who will be successful have begun their new life of “Telling The Truth.”  Before groups are finished, we have been assured time and time and time again by these men the the saying, “The Truth will set you free,” is INDEED TRUE.  To witness these men making these fundamental changes in their lives is (for a Counselor) one of the greatest joys imaginable!  As difficult as the tasks are, no members of our team would trade professions or consider throwing in the towel regardless of the social negativity we encounter.

We said Good-Bye to a transitioning group last week and for some of our group members, their successful completion allowed them to leave prison with their family members on that day of transition.    What a joyful time for those group members and their families.  And though we are hesitant to use the word “proud,” we are – in the best possible way – proud of each man and the dedication each had to do the work and the continued dedication that each man continues to have.  They will continue to “work their program” even though they are free men.

For those who are curious, the recidivism rate of treated sex offenders in our state is approximately 3%.  It is the lowest recidivism rate of any crime committed here.  We are extremely pleased regarding these statistics.

We have a phase that is titled “Empathy,” and one of the objectives to reaching empathy is to “Thrive during persecution.”  We teach the men that it is not enough to just survive persecution; but they must actually THRIVE during persecution!  In other words, encountering persecution is an OPPORTUNITY TO GROW!

We know that as these men re-enter society, they will encounter much persecution and we believe that as they put this teaching in practice, they will continue to increase their personal  integrity and grow in wisdom.

As Counselors who lead and teach these men, we too practice the objective of thriving during persecution and in fact, we feel a certain sympathy for those colleagues of ours who are not challenged and then thrilled with the results of their professional endeavors.

Matthew 5:10:

Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!

Our prayer for you is that the work of your hands (and minds) be blessed and we publicly thank God for the honor of doing His work!

Macky