Juvenile Offenders

This week after I got off work I had to go to a meeting or what is called a Behavior Group at the Correctional Facility. In this group, there is usually a boy who is on what they call a plan. He is not allowed to face the group because of an offense he has committed. He must face the wall until he is given permission to turn and face the group.

In the particular group I was asked to attend there were nine boys, a case worker and the director. His offense was that he had been volunteering with a thrift store and the lady there had given him a bag. The bag had another bag inside because it was a set. The boy said he thought the she meant he could have the set, but apparently it was a misunderstanding, but at the facility there is no such thing as a misunderstanding. This lady is known to give the boys who help some clothing also, so when they go home, they have clothes to wear and she had given him two sweaters. To make a long story short, one of the boys previously had taken advantage and gotten more clothes than he should have, so this boy was told by his caseworker he could not have anything but the bag she gave him.

However he wanted the sweaters so had not put them back and his caseworker had gone to find out if he had anything put away and when he did, it became an issue. The caseworker called it stealing, lying and manipulation. So they wanted to confront the boy since he is going to come to my home to live. So I confronted him with 2 Tim3:16, Rom. 13, Luke 6:46 and 1 Peter 2:13-14 where it talks about all authority is put in place by God. I explained to him I was there because I care and he had gone against what his authority figures had told him to do. I then explained we must obey authorities so we can escape punishment, as well as be obedient to God, but I also understand the temptation he was faced with, but we have to remember 1 Cor. 10:13, where God always gives us a way out, a way of escape.

It was really a difficult time for this boy, he had been confronted and in trouble for this for about four weeks, but he kept saying it was a misunderstanding and they wanted him to admit it was manipulation, lying and stealing which he eventually did. He left the room humbled and crying. My heart went out to him. These kids have been crippled by their parents because of the way they were raised in such dysfunctional homes. His mother is incarcerated for a year for drugs, his father is also addicted. Only God can make a way in this situation. This boy doesn't want to go home, he wants to change his life.

He said later he had learned much about what God wanted for him and how he had made the wrong choices. I had prayed God would open his heart and eyes, because the flesh is alive and well. You don't change eighteen years of dysfunction overnight, it's a process. I love these boys, God loves them, He created them and Jesus is the only hope they have of ever changing. He changed me, so I know He can change them for nothing is too difficult for the Lord.

The greatest thing I have learned in counseling someone is that the Authority is in the Word. When someone asks me a question, I always try to tell them, well, let's see what the Bible says about it, because I don't want to give you my opinion. So guess what, I have yet to see a person who was not set free when I let them see what God said about their situation. Thank you Lord for your Word!!