That Time I Went to Prison & Thanked God for it

How God used 26 miserable hours in a prison cell to humble me, and teach me the lesson of personal accountability.

Well, first of all, you may be surprised to hear that I went to jail at all. I didn’t talk about it to very many people & I definitely didn’t share it on Facebook. Normally, I’m pretty transparent about what is going on in my life, but this was a situation I’d rather nobody voiced their opinion on, so I’ve kept it kind of quiet. I have been wondering for a few weeks why all of a sudden I’m reluctant to be open with people, and I’ve discovered 4 reasons.

1. I’m embarrassed – Plain & simple. I was arrested in a crowded parking lot on Mason Road. Handcuffed and put in the back of a police car, which was humiliating to say the least. Not only that, I was crying like a ninny. Definitely not acting my age.
2. It was traumatic, and I haven’t felt like reliving it – I’m not joking, jail is scary as f***. It’s not a scene from OITNB or Legally Blonde, y’all. You are in serious trouble, and in close proximity with some serious criminals. That one experience has basically been the stuff of my nightmares for the past 5 weeks.
3. Appearances matter, I suppose  – While this is one reason that I can honestly say does not concern me, I have family members who would prefer that I didn’t broadcast my criminal record to the world. Well, sorry folks, I don’t seem to have a mute button. Out of respect, I’ve tried to keep it under wraps. But now I’m talking about it because God taught me an important lesson – and I want to share that with you.
4. (This is the doozy) I DESERVED IT. – Yup, no justifying or blaming here. I deserved to go to jail according to the laws of the State of Texas. This has been the hardest fact to come to terms with because it’s easier to act like a victim than it is to behave like an adult. And believe me, it’s taken a while. But I deserved the time I spent in that cell, and now, looking back, I’m actually GRATEFUL for it. Crazy, right? I’ll tell you why.

I was arrested for driving with a suspended license – which in Texas is a Class B Misdemeanor. I didn’t know that it was such a serious offense, but to be truthful, I would have driven my car all over the damned place even if I had. Why? Because I did not respect the law.