At 4 AM on the way to work, a deer jumped into the side of my car, destroying the vehicle and giving me whiplash that would require weeks of physical therapy.
As I sat on the side of the road waiting for the state patrol trooper to arrive, I thought about all of the things it was going to take to get my life back in order.
But it wasn’t long until I started thinking about how scary it would be to be a police officer approaching strange cars in the middle of the night, and never knowing if the people inside really needed help or not.
What must it be like to always have to be on guard – trusting no one, but trying your best to serve with compassion?
As the officer approached my vehicle, I imagined his heart pounding and mind racing with questions about his personal safety – if that’s what was happening, he never let on. For he was everything you would expect; nice, calm, very professional, and asking questions requiring simple answers.
After he finished the paperwork, he politely asked if I had any more questions. I answered, “Yes Sir, I do have one.” I explained how I work at The River, and how listeners always want to know how to best pray for people like him who serve the public so selflessly. I simply wanted him to know that he was not alone and that what he does matters.
I asked him, “What are the most important things that you need prayer for?” He quickly answered, “Our safety. Everything in our lives hinges around safety.”
I then asked, “Sir, would it be okay if I prayed for you right now?” You should have seen the stunned look on his face when he answered, “Okay….yeah, that would be good…I can’t believe this, I’ve never had anyone ask to pray for me before.”
It was then that our attention became focused on our Heavenly Father and His love for this man. I prayed for his safety and protection; for his heart to remain soft but filled with wisdom and direction, and that he would not be tormented by things he sees in his line of work. At the end, this precious young man reached his hand inside of my vehicle to grab my hand and shake it. He appeared deeply moved and again said, “I’ve never had anyone pray for me before, thank you so much.”
One moment of kindness can change someone’s life, sometimes even forever.
Because of this beautiful interaction, I will be praying for that officer and reaching out to him from time to time to let him know that he is loved, thought of, and valued. The story continues though, because after sharing about it on the air, the following email arrived and touched my heart deeply:
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for praying for that Patrol Officer yesterday. My son is a Deputy Sheriff in a rural area of Ohio and help can be hours away if he is in need. Not only do citizens have to wait hours for assistance, a Law Enforcement Officer may, too. I pray every day for him, and it brought a tear to my eye this morning hearing about you praying over that sweet, special Patrol Officer… it touched him more than you will ever know… and it touched me this morning that with all you were going through, you took time to acknowledge his need as well.”
If you would like to make a difference in the lives of those that serve us, please consider taking part of “Love our Law Enforcement” as an individual, family, group or church.
Remember, YOU are LOVED!
