Our Men and Women that are coming out of incarceration go through this as well. People who have been in bondage for years don’t know how to be free, so even when they are released, mentally they remain in captivity because that’s all they know. It’s like a bird that has been raised in a cage all its life, even when the door to the cage is open & it is free it won’t hop out and fly away because the cage is all it knows. It is gripped by fear of the unknown. A similar situation is found in the prison system. When you see kids that get caught up in the juvenile detention system, if they are there for a long period of time they become accustomed to that life style and their mindset changes about themselves & life. The devil then brings in the spirit of fear & defeat. They become depressed & get caught in a cycle. They are in bondage in their minds thinking they have ruined their lives & they give up. Eventually they end up making more mistakes if they don’t have someone there for them to help them turn things around. Then these mistakes land them in prison. If they are in the prison system for any length of time they become accustomed to that life style. They have all freedoms taken from them. They are told when to eat, where to go, when to take a bath, when to sleep. They are restricted from moving around freely. After a while they learn to adapt to being told what to do every day, all day & the prison mentality of doing what it takes to survive takes over. They go about their day & find a survival existence in the system. Their bodies and minds are in bondage. In prison they are faced with Physical bondage which is the obvious situation of being in prison, but they also face Mental bondage. This is a tactic that Correctional officers and even other inmates use to gain control of others. Mental bondage most times goes unrecognized because others do not even realize it is there. This type of bondage is unseen to the naked eye. This is where prayer and discerning of spirits comes in. We must take the time to monitor our loved ones after they are released to discern where they are not just physically but mentally and emotionally. Especially If they are incarcerated for a long period of time. If they are there long enough this type of bondage life becomes the only way to live that they know. They don’t even realize when it happens, but it changes who they are & it becomes part of them. They get stuck in the mode of thinking like a prisoner & even when they are released most are never able to go back into normal society because the bondage of prison has attacked & affected them to the core of their being. It changes their outlook on everything. They lose the sense of freedom of even the most basic foundational things of life like boundaries within normal relationships. This is where we come in. We must be aware of what they are facing and be aware that even though they want to come home and do right and reach their goals, they are faced daily with fears and anxiety. We must keep in mind that the voices they hear in their mind that they have heard for years during their time of incarceration will not go away overnight. They have been told for their entire period of incarceration that they are nothing and will never become anything. They have been demoralized and beaten down mentally, emotionally, spiritually and at times even physically. They will need time to get these voices and memories in check. We can help them do this but at times it will not be easy. PTSD is not an easy thing to deal with. Eventually, they may need to see a doctor but do not push this issue. As a matter of fact, don’t push any issue on them right away. Just observe and allow them to open up slowly. Think of is this way. When you peal an onion back it opens in layers. If you cut straight through to the core and open it you end up crying, but it you run water over it and take your time pealing it and open it up slowly, there may be tears, but it won’t be as bad. So, as they open up, let it happen at their pace. Let them know you are there, and just slowly pour the living water of Jesus over them in prayer and love. Don’t crowd them. Read the signs and let them know you love them but also gage the space they need to adjust to their new environment. Remember, whether they say it or not, they are overwhelmed. They will allow you to hug them and love on them and even may endure a party but know that inside they are scared and need time to adjust to even being physically touched. They are not used to physical contact in a positive way. Everything is “new” to them again. They are even scared to move in the house without permission. Daily things we take for granted, they are terrified to do without permission. So be patient and observe them. The best help you can give them at times is space. Let them ease back into “life”. This is the best support we can give at times. Also, just as I told them in the book I gave them, keep a journal of your journey. Make notes of what you see so you can adjust your life to better help them. If you notice a cringe when you touch them, don’t be upset. It is not you. They just have to get used to being touched again. That’s all. If you notice they don’t like loud noises, then adjust. They just have to get used to it again. Trust me. Before too long you will be saying, “hey can you turn the TV down a little please?” 😊 Just wait on it. It will come. We will look a little more into this as the chapters go on. Take sometimes to yourself as well during this process of adjustment. It will not be easy every day. So, make time to pray and meditate to clear your head and write daily about your feelings as well. This will help you release what you are dealing with and be a bigger help to your loved one. I will be praying for you as you go through this process and my contact info is at the end of the book if you ever have questions. I will be here. So now let’s move forwards and look a little deeper into our upcoming journey. First, let’s capture what we feel today.