Phil

We laid Phil to rest today.  We were surprised by the size of the group that showed up for his funeral.  It was a grey, cloudy, misty, windy morning, but the Word was warm.

Jon received word from an inmate friend of Phil's on Friday that he was in the prison hospital on hospice care.  Jon contacted the prison but because of  HIPAA rules, they wouldn't tell him anything other than confirm he was indeed in the hospital seriously ill.  Friday evening the prison called to report his death.

Marshall met Phil through a prison ministry.  When he was released and had no place to go and no family to go home to, the Heinolds took him in.  He had a history of juvenile and adult crimes, as well as cocaine addiction.  They helped him find a job, brought him to church, and the church came around him and supported him.  In time he repented for his sins and was baptized, believing in the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  He was in his twenties, and enjoyed his time in the young group.

But his old sins and addictions kept haunting him, and when he felt rejected, depressed, or unable to cope with life, he reverted to his past life of drugs and alcohol and committed awful crimes.  He was in and out of prison several times and was never able to live free.  He needed the structure and constraints that prison forced on him.  He was 57 when he died, and I think he spent the majority of his life behind bars.  He was where he needed to be, and where he deserved to be in the eyes of a civilized society.  We believe he was at peace with God.  Phil stood before many Judges in his life.  The Lord God will be the next Judge he appears in front of.

Phil always took responsibility for his crimes (sins) and never tried to blame others or the system.  He came from a dysfunctional family and background, and he yearned to have a normal relationship with his earthly father.  He never did.  Instead, he found hope in a merciful heavenly Father.

I have been visiting Phil regularly for the past ten years, and have always been impressed with the spiritual attitude he was able to maintain.  There were definitely low times and great struggles, but he always made it back to a strong basic Faith.
 He had a desire to serve Christ despite his great weaknesses and failures, and tried to be a light and help to others where he was placed.  He was not afraid to share the Gospel in prison if anyone showed an interest.

Through it all, I learned more than I ever thought I needed to know about criminals, the prison system, and how a prisoner survives in prison.
And I learned a lot more about mercy and forgiveness.
And who my neighbor is.

And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
Nehemiah 9:17