My best friend, Kare, was lost in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. She had volunteered to take her friend for a cancer treatment. But now, all she wanted to do was get back home to rural Phillipsburg, Kansas.
Plugging in her friend’s oxygen was more important than plugging in the GPS. So they resorted to reading a map. But without success. A phone call to a family member, who lives in Kansas City, didn’t provide the directions they needed either. A policeman, on his way to a disturbance, could only offer a quick, “Turn around. You’re going the wrong way.”
Several times they nearly missed having an accident. Fear and frustration mounted as car after car whizzed by. Finally, Kare was able to pull into a diner. Desperate and determined to find someone who would help, she approached a police officer who happened to be walking out.
“I’m lost,” she pleaded. “Could I please pay you to take me to Interstate 70?”
“No,” he said, with a smile. “You can’t pay me, but I’ll take you. Just follow me.”
She returned to her car and the policeman patiently led her through the crowded streets. If a car got between them, he slowed, until she caught back up. Seeing that squad car up ahead made all the difference. Soon my friend was on her way home.
I can’t imagine living in a world without police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect and meet so many other needs. I hate to imagine what criminals might do if they had no fear of being apprehended. The law, without enforcement, wouldn’t work.
Police officers take risks and suffer inconveniences to protect our lives and secure our safety. And they endure such risks and tolerate such inconveniences on behalf of strangers, like us (adapted from: http://www.theiacp.org).
Law enforcement is God’s design. It’s His idea for our good. The Bible is pretty clear about that:
- “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good” (Romans 13:1-4 NKJV).
Let’s pray for our nation and especially for the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving and protecting us.
