Prison Diaries: While I was walking, God was talking, and this is what he said.

 

Prison Diaries

by Bill Conley

While I was walking, God was talking, and this is what he said.

In the year 2001, my life took a detour that led me through the cold, unforgiving corridors of both a State Prison in California and a Federal Detention Center in Washington. A journey marked not only by concrete walls but by the intangible chains of a single conviction — one count of honest service wire fraud, a charge that encapsulated the essence of bribery. My crime: allegedly depriving a corporate employee of his honest service to the company by gifting him with trips, money, and favors. Little did I know that this turbulent period would become the canvas for a profound spiritual awakening.

Sentenced by a Federal District Judge in California, I faced 1 year and 1 day behind bars, split between the confines of prison and the semblance of freedom at home. Early release, a privilege earned through good behavior, marked the end of my stint. My journey commenced in California, weaving its way through Oregon, and finally settling in a Federal Detention Center in Washington. It was here, amidst the muted echoes of confinement, that I discovered an unexpected gift — time.

In the solitude of my cell, with the weight of incarceration pressing upon me, I sought refuge in a simple ritual. Armed with a notepad and pen, I embarked on a daily pilgrimage around the housing unit. Before each step, a whispered prayer escaped my lips, a plea for divine inspiration. As I walked, the universe responded, and God's voice resonated within me.

The pen danced across the pages, translating the ethereal into the tangible. I became a scribe, capturing the essence of the conversations I shared with a higher power. Armed not only with a pen but also a bible, a dictionary, and a concordance, I transformed the words whispered in the corridors of captivity into a testament of resilience, faith, and revelation.

Day after day, I poured over my notes, weaving together a narrative that transcended the physical confines of my cell. Some days, the ink flowed for hours on end, a stream of consciousness that mirrored the rhythmic pacing of my walks. The fusion of divine guidance, scripture, and introspection birthed a collection of insights that now lay before you.

What follows are not merely the musings of a confined mind but a sacred chronicle of the whispers that echoed through prison walls. These are the words inspired by God during my walks – a tapestry of introspection, redemption, and the unfathomable grace that can emerge even in the darkest corners of existence.

As you delve into these pages, may you find solace, wisdom, and perhaps a glimpse of the divine in the most unexpected of places. This is not just my story; it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit when faced with adversity, a reminder that even within the confines of incarceration, the soul can find liberation.

I offer you these Prison Diaries with a humble heart, hoping that in these words, you discover a universal truth — that even in the bleakest moments, the divine whispers, and through the act of listening, we find our way back to the light.