“Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” -Matthew 5:9 NIV
There have been a
lot of things that have happened this week that I would love to spiritually
analyze, but some of them are still fresh and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that
just yet. Also, no Scripture leapt out at
me this week, but to be honest, I wasn’t as focused on God as I should have
been. Since Police Week is wrapping up,
I thought perhaps that would be a good topic to explore as it relates to Scripture
and my journey.
As
I stated in previous entries, I came to know Jesus after working extra duties
as security at a church. My husband has
been in law enforcement since 2007. I
moved on from that career choice, but it is part of who he is. He enjoys going to work every shift and he’s darn
good at his job too. But there are
moments in that field of work where you really start to see a lot of bad stuff
happening, and sometimes it is hard to come back from. Between my seven years as a 911 dispatcher
and four years as a cop, there are things that I will never forget, particularly
watching families deal with the tragedy of losing a loved one. I won’t speak for David, but I know that two
of the hardest things he has responded to were child deaths. I think even for a solid, life-long Christian,
that would probably shake your faith a little.
That’s why it is so important to be able to reach out to a department
Chaplain, or actually even more important for Chaplains to do the initial outreach
themselves. Unfortunately, there is
still stigma associated with seeking help, whether mental or spiritual, and a
lot of officers won’t make that first connection themselves.
I
am not in a place to really discuss another aspect of law enforcement response,
and that is the feeling that you’re never truly alone when you respond to a
call. Even if there are no other officers
on scene yet, at 3:30 in the morning (or whatever time), God is there with
you. I know David spoke about this in
our testimony at church a few years back.
You can check that out here. I’m
also reminded of the song “Surrounded (Fight My Battles)” while typing
this. “It may look like I’m surrounded,
but I’m surrounded by You.”
I am a full believer in divine intervention
and that God takes us where he wants us to be at the exact time and moment we’re
supposed to be there. I ended up in law
enforcement at time when my heart was ready to open to new ideas and events led
me to that church to hear the Gospel and only at the time when I was ready and
willing to hear it. Situations and
circumstances that I have been put in or my husband has been put in fell into
place piece by piece. So many factors
and variables orchestrated together to put us in a specific situation at a
specific time and there’s no explanation that makes sense other than God. I’m so thankful for His guidance, His love,
His patience, His grace and for His timing.
We may never understand why He does what He does at times, but there’s always
a reason for it. I’m not at liberty to discuss
specific details of a recent situation that the previous statement applies to,
but I know we’re put in specific places and circumstances for reasons and it
isn’t all just one big coincidence. We’re
never alone, no matter what our calling is.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not
be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 NIV
Thank
you to all of the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every
single day or night to protect their communities. Though many times the job is thankless, we
could not survive as a society without your order.
God, please protect those who
wear the badge as they go into their communities to prevent crimes, save lives
and property. Help them to have positive
connections with everyone they encounter to further Your glory. Make their senses sharp and their minds clear,
help them to remember their training and help them to remember that even in the
dark of night, they are not alone, that You
are by their side. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
xoxo, Amber
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