Unacknowledged Victims of the DOC
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In Memory of |
"We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday, And days before that, too. We think of you in silence, We often speak your name. Now all we have are memories, And your picture in a frame. Your memory is our keepsake, With which we'll never part; God has you in his keeping, We have you in our hearts. If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again!" ~Mom, Donna C. Arnold |
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THE OVERCOMERS
November 2, 2005 When I spoke Wednesday night to the Overcomer meeting there were about 16 people there, only 2 men. Usually there are about 15 guys who attend and are from some half-way house nearby. These guys didn’t show up and I know why and it was because I spoke as a “Mother” and, boy, did the Holy Spirit inhabit that room!!! We started out with a praise song and it was awesome. Then it was my turn to tell of my son. I had a picture of him sitting in front of me. I started by telling them about my divorce from Chad’s father and how I thought it affected Chad. Then what kind of a child he was, very sensitive and thoughtful, attending Lutheran schools through 8th grade. Told some of the things he did that started his ‘ventures’ and then told of his incarcerations – 2 terms of 3 years each. Then went on to the “day” and what transpired from the start of Wednesday through the final “shot” on Friday morning at 12:14 AM…it was really hard, but the Holy Spirit came through with flying colors. Response to the oration??? One grandma shared with me that her grandson, just turned 18 years old, was sentenced for 16 years to prison just recently and she is having an extremely hard time with it. I gave her the scripture Isaiah 49:25 that I prayed over my son the entire time he was in prison and after we left that night she called me back and gave me her grandson’s DC # so I can write to him. I told her that I promise to write him and that things will be ok – she confirmed that by assuredly repeating to me the scripture Isaiah 49:25…”I will save your children”. Another lady opened up to me and said that she had a daughter die in her arms. I had just downloaded the story of the “Empty Chair” and read it to the class about the best way to die……. Another lady shared with me that she was currently in an abusive relationship and said she identified with me and that I was truly a woman of God to share what I had shared! She also said that she has shared this with very FEW people and felt the need to share with me because of Chad’s story and my courage! One of the men came to me and said he felt compelled to share with me what had happened to him while I was speaking. He uses broken English and normally is VERY shy, but he came up to me and was very bold (this man attends my church). He said that as I was speaking towards the end, the Lord spoke right to his heart and said, “Listen to her, she is my daughter" (meaning me). "Pay attention to what she is saying…and she is starting to cry”. He said at that moment he saw tears falling down my cheeks! When he shared this with me, I broke down and sobbed. What an affirmation from God for me that I am doing the right thing as a witness for Him, and an honor for my son. Another gal came to me and said that she just had to hug me! She attends our church and we had just met recently at a woman conference in October. She said that she would never have believed that I had endured such a trauma because I am such an inspiration to her and those around me (can you believe it?)! I’m telling you, I was in such awe of the Glory of the Lord that I just sat there during all this and cried! She said that she couldn’t believe that I still smiled, but she just HAD to hug me! And the best one….a black lady came with 2 boys, one about 7 and the other 9 years old. The littler one had attended our Summer Day Care and was a REAL handful! She started sobbing and calling out to me, “Donna, Donna, Donna, you came here JUST FOR ME!!!! “ She said that for 8 months she has been trying to get to this meeting but each time she found something better to do,. She said that last week she was driving with the kids in the back seat. On the left was the 9 year old and he had a Christian tract and was reading it to her. He asked her if she wanted to receive Christ in her heart and she said “yes”, so he read and she accepted. ‘At one point she looked in the rear view mirror and she saw a man sitting where her son was – and in this man she saw my son’s life, just as I had told it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She said that because of me she now knows that she has to take care of her son and that he’s going to make! it. I told her that she HAS to pray him through this and that he would make it! I did, and she will, too. And to cling to that same scripture! I hope you can understand all this. When the Holy Spirit wants to use you to help other people, He uses you in a mighty way and you have no control of what is going to happen. You just let go and let God, and you can see what happens at that point! I am so blessed and in such awe that He would use ME, of all people, to help people like that. I am still in a state of complete astonishment! Donna Arnold
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If you or someone you know have experienced the loss of a child
to the system, let's tell the story.
Contact me, Kay Lee
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2683 Rockcliff Road S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30316
404-212-0690
