This Tuesday, I'm hosting an Aussie author! Can I come visit? Please? Just not in the setting where this book takes place . . . Meet Trish Jenkins.
FAITH TO
OVERCOME
Living
with murderers, drug dealers, frauds, and broken humanity, her
prayers for deliverance were not answered the way she expected.
Instead the Lord delivered her "through the fire..."
Prison
was not part of Trish Jenkins’ ministry plans, but it happened.
Conned by a fraud and a breach of the Corporations Act meant losing
her multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home. It
also meant this Australian mother served 8 months in prison, isolated
from her husband and 3 little girls.
TREASURE IS
FOUND IN DARK PLACES
Instead
of succumbing to despair and self-pity, Trish chose to believe the
Word of God and in doing so,
she introduced many other prisoners to Christ. In the darkness, Trish
found keys to freedom and courage and a deeper walk with the Holy
Spirit.
Trish
felt compelled to record everything she experienced. She wrote
letters to her family and friends by writing letters to her husband,
who then copied the letter to an email that went out to a list that
grew rapidly. Those emails went viral, and Trish’s readers shared
her journey with her. What she couldn’t put in letters due to their
sensitive nature, she wrote in a private journal.
From
stories of winning over bullies to the despair of persecution for her
faith, Trish shares her journey with warmth and candour.
Today
Trish shares her hard-won “Treasures” as an entertaining,
insightful speaker and author, inspiring audiences to be courageous
in all circumstances. Ministering effectively to both Christian and
secular audiences, she is warm, compassionate and funny! Today,
as a well-respected international speaker and author, Trish’s
heart-felt and inspirational story filled with practical advice is
re-igniting fire and faith in the hearts of her audiences.
If you would like to read an excerpt from her journey, Treasures of Darkness, read on.
Humiliation
to Humor
From
journal entry dated 30th
January, 2009.
Medication
is delivered to the unit three times a day. I require a tablet just
once a day. When we are given medication we are to line up with our
plastic glasses half filled with water. We must show our fingers
putting our medication into our mouths, swallow the water, then open
our mouths wide, and lift our tongues for an officer to inspect.
It
reminds me of the movie, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Some of the women take medicine to help with their drug withdrawals
and may transfer the pill or liquid into someone else’s mouth as a
payment for something.
Such
oral practices are not permitted in here.
As
per the movie, we seem to have our very own Nurse Ratchet. This woman
is a really grumpy, plump, middle-aged "sourpuss." Her
mouth seems permanently held in the position that most resembles the
rear of a cat. I’m always as polite as I can be, but one day, she
was so rude to me that an officer actually told me not to worry about
her.
My
humiliations were not quite complete...
I
picked up a persistent, barking cough from the watch-house
conditions. To add to my indignities, my pelvic floors were not
coping as well as they would normally, and I needed something to
suppress the coughing. I was too embarrassed to go to the male
officer in the fishbowl and explain why I needed to access my cell.
“Don’t
you do your pelvic floor exercises?” Nurse “Ratchet” demanded
in a loud, accusing voice.
“Well
yes, but I did give birth to twins
and this cough isn’t helping…”
She
spoke to me as if I were an idiot and as if my answer was
"back-chatting." I did get a bit testy as I hate poor
customer service. I didn’t appreciate my personal matters being
ridiculed in front of everyone either. But in here I am not a
customer. I am not an equal. I must be subservient, and accept
disrespect from staff if I am to survive. It’s hard for a
self-respecting person to tolerate such treatment.
I
speak to the staff the same way I would if I were dealing with people
from another business. We are incarcerated; however, in theory, we
are still supposed to be treated with manners. Some officers do, and
the women usually respond in kind. However, many do not; yet it is
not our place to point out when a staff member is falling short. We
have the right to complain, but few do unless the matter is really
serious.
"I
expected the women to be mean; but a nurse is simply doing a job, why
would she bother being snide?" I complained to the Lord.
Hmmm.
Time for an "Attitude" test.
I
began praying for this horrible woman. I am sure she is lovely to
those who matter to her. She is probably a sweet grandmother. Perhaps
she just hates her job. So I prayed for God’s blessing on every
area of her life. Then the Lord showed me a scripture.
“That
which you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you
do to me.” See
Matthew 25:31-46 for the full context. It also warns, “That
which you did not
do for the least of these, you did not
do for Me.”
I
felt the Lord ask me, “Who are the ‘least’ in society?”
“I
think it’s us, Lord," I answered. "People feel sorry for
abused children, the handicapped, the sick, and the mentally ill; but
we are despised.”
“That’s
right, and yet she serves you.” The
irony was not lost on me.
What
was funnier was when I shared my revelation with the nurse the next
day! There is a part of me that is a little cheeky about the things
of God, and I wanted to see her response. How
could I not? As
she served me, I thanked her politely and said, “You know the Bible
says when you are serving us, you are serving Jesus.”
She
looked stunned, “Well, I don’t believe that!”
I
smiled at her and replied, “It doesn’t matter if you believe it.
We are the very least in society. What anyone does to us, they do to
Christ. Thank you.”
“Move
along, Jenkins!” I’m sure the supervising officer was hiding a
smile. Perhaps
the Lord will touch her, and perhaps not. It’s not my call.
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