How Education Began a Journey to Change My Life

(Guest post by Rick Reamsma (#199948) - Rick is a fellow Calvin Prison Initiative student.)

For most of my life, I have embraced being a criminal. The anger, fear, hatred, bitterness, feelings of power and control - these were my friends. I shared my friends with any and all that I felt I could, and I had no compunction to change. That is until an opportunity was offered to me by Calvin College. 
Education, this is what they offered - on the surface. But they offered so much more. Through the love that they showed me, the kindness, compassion and heartfelt handshakes, they offered to bear my burden of releasing myself from the "friends" of my past.
Because of Calvin College and the education and love they displayed to one so undeserving, I now crave to do this for others. I can only accomplish this though through being educated. I have to learn how to not blame others, to take responsibility for my actions, and accept challenges that are more difficult than any I have previously endeavored to attempt. This is only accomplished by education.
Further, this process has awakened within me the desire to get to know God on a very intimate level. I have come to realize, thanks to education, that just having the knowledge is not enough. I have to have the mind of Christ, and His mind involves heart. I have to love my neighbor as myself, so that means that I desire education for myself and also desire it for my neighbor. Plus, God gives me the strength to overcome the strongholds in my mind that potentially hinder my growth. 
Yes, I am just now beginning this journey down education's path; however, having only taken a couple of steps, I have made great strides to overcome the broken thought processes that I have carried, and that is very important for me as well as for those around me.