Do Not Be Discouraged, But Cling to Your Faith

The Message I Heard

“Do not be discouraged, but cling to your faith,” – God. This is the message I heard the other day when I felt discouraged and kept overthinking different scenarios (ones of which are falsities of the enemy)! When we are knee deep in glorifying the Lord, working, and worshiping, and pressing against the principalities of darkness, satan is angry and will use anything he can to distract us to get us off course. My precious friend, Damond, and I are constantly in prayer regarding the blessing to share God’s goodness with the men in prison at FCC Coleman. Putting on the full armor of God in doing what we do is nothing short of necessity (Ephesians 6:10-18). This testimony, loved one, is for preparation.

I tell the guys in my classes, “Listen to me carefully, men, the enemy does NOT want you here. And you will be tested. The fact that you are here listening to the TRUTH be told, which is Jesus and His sacrifice, leading to your salvation – be on guard”. In next week’s message, I want to go beyond the physical world and into the spiritual realm, the unseen place of our eternity. Remember friends, this life on earth is a journey, not our final destination (I know it’s deep information, but so incredibly necessary for you to understand and consider each day) (John 3:16).

A Chance Encounter with Damond

About five or six years ago, I arrived at the soccer field with my daughter. I got her signed up for the city league and we were both excited to meet her new coach. Low and behold, it was Damond Talbot, the friend I mentioned above. A few weeks before this encounter, a congratulatory email was sent out at work for the new Complex Mentor Coordinator position, Damond Talbot. This was the job I wanted. This was a job I felt was for me, for my desires to be fulfilled; I had no doubt whatsoever that I would be the best fit for this position.

Damond and I had seen each other around the prison, more acquaintances than anything, never working closely together. I kindly let him know at the soccer field that evening that I had wanted the job he had received and was never going to give up on trying to attain it. He had great advice for me… short and sweet, “Jenny, if this job is for you, God will put you in it IN HIS TIME, not in yours.”

Damond’s Powerful Testimony

About a year later, Damond and I talked. He expressed to me that he knew the attacks were coming, as he was testifying, preaching, bringing into the institutions worship services and volunteers to give messages of hope and encouragement. Within that previous year, Damond was diagnosed with a rare sickness. It wore his body down, he was weak, not knowing what was consuming him. Ultimately, he was given an opportunity to witness to doctors at Mayo Clinic because of this rare sickness – He was able to deem this as a blessing, a miracle even in the midst of his sickness, that’s God!

He was also diagnosed with cancer, to which he beat with God’s amazing grace and mercy. All the while, never stopping in his duty to claim the name of Jesus to the multitudes of men housed at FCC Coleman. Ultimately, Damond was healed both from the rare sickness that tried to wear him down and also from the cancer. His testimony is strong to say the least.

God’s Timing is Always Right

Jump forward to November 2022, I had the opportunity to apply for “that job,” the one I could feel in my spirit was for me. I applied and I received, all thanks to God and His ways – never late, never early, but right on time. It took a few months (with the BOP, it’s never a quick process), but eventually, I was able to move into my new position as Complex Mentor Coordinator, early January 2023.

It was the beginning of “the best year yet”, I thought. As I moved into my new office, Damond paid me a visit. Excited for me to begin, he expressed his congratulatory words, but most importantly reminded me to be prepared for attacks from the enemy; he again, encouraged me to put on the full armor of God daily, stating, “Jen, this might turn out to be a very difficult year, but you’ve got this, as with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Trials and God’s Faithfulness

Two days later, while I was working, I got a call that my dad would be having emergency open-heart surgery the next day. I said aloud to the enemy then, I will not stop, I will stay committed to the calling within my spirit, and I will cling to the Word of God and keep pressing on.

For the next few weeks, I balanced being at the hospital with mama to give her and dad support, and staying committed to my work at the prison. There were hiccups within the work environment too, just hurtles to jump over, things I knew were tricks of the enemy to deter me. I pressed on, working with the men across the complex to feed their souls with the goodness of God, the best news on the planet of Jesus and how He came to save us from our sinful and selfish selves.

God carried me, y’all, through it all, He carried me.

Mama’s Homegoing and A Hard Lesson

Then, August of 2023, as you previously read about, God took mama home to Heaven. That was the big whammy, the big shebang, the happening that could’ve driven me to give up and quit and to clarify, this situation with mama was written in the book of life; it was ordained by God and ultimately used for the good of those who are called by Him, those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Satan will twist things as he can to confuse us. We must stay in the Word; we must pray and be in communion with our Heavenly Father. That is the only way we can decipher truth from lies.

I learned such a valuable lesson from mama going home – Staying close to God EVEN when you don’t feel like it, is not a choice y’all, it’s a necessity to survive life’s most horrific moments. That vivid memory of standing up on my feet and worshiping God after I had fallen to what I felt in the moment could have been my last night on earth was MAGICAL, and the thought of the enemy having to sleek back into the depths of his misery because he did not get his way with me was AMAZING and FREEING to say the least.

By the way, none of the experiences I divulge to you here are inaccessible or unattainable…. Believe, you must believe, friends!

Clinging to Faith in Discouragement

As I started to explain earlier on in this message, today, there are so many amazing things we desire to bring to the men of FCC Coleman and at times, we’re human and discouragement is a natural thought process. We know though, I know, that God doesn’t want me to be discouraged. He wants me to keep the faith (Hebrews 11:1) and to rest in the truth of Hebrews 11:1, rebuking an anxiety or feelings of discouragement that come my way.

All this – because in due time, God’s plans will prevail! I’ve seen it and I’ve experienced it – time after time after time! This scenario is absolutely no exception.

Stay strong friends, His grace will carry us through…. ALWAYS! Amen and Amen.

Enjoy the additional encouragement in song. Click the link to hear the song pertaining to this week’s message of hope: No Fear by John Reddick