Forgiveness Day 2016

 

Yup, apparently this day exists as a national day. Forgiveness. It's not a touchy subject per se, but sometimes a very challenging one. 

I have blogged about forgiveness a couple times before. It is something I am passionate about dishing out, because far too many times I have been the one seeking it, needing it. 

Everyone on the earth sins. Point blank, we are all sinners. Everyone wrongs someone every now and again. Sometimes intentionally, with complete congnizance of doing so, sometimes completely unintentionally, and quite often somewhere between the 2 extremes.

I can only imagine how much God's heart hurts when His own children are the ones hurting others. 

The greatest example of forgiveness comes to us in John 19. With Jesus willingly giving His life on the cross for wretched people such as myself. So undeserving. Nothing shouts pure and honest forgiveness like letting someone nail your hands to a cross after lugging your own death tree up a hill, letting them smash a crown of thorns onto your head, and letting them whip you until blood is drawn and dripping from all over your torso, arms, and legs.

All the while, knowing You and Your Father above have every right and possess the omnipotence to get Yourself off that cross, to stop it all before it even began. Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46b

God the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. The Trinity. Three-in-one. But for a moment, God had to turn His face. Imagine the torment it caused Him to see His only Son suffering such pain, and for such undeserving people.

He didn't die on that cross just for me, but He did die on that cross FOR me. He endured unthinkable, unimaginable, excrutuating pain, for me? For this undeserving and disobedient sinner? But, why? 

Some things in life make total and completely clear sense. Attending school, graduating and attending college. Moving out of our parent's homes to blossom on our own. Finding, courting, and marrying your true love. Birthing beautiful children and raising them to love and worship our Lord. But then there are hiccups, if you will, in the road of our life, such as burying a child, losing a parent at a young age, and I liken the confusion of those kinds of events in life to trying to understand God's willingness to offer forgiveness to the likes of us.

It comes as hard to believe, especially for the 'unbeliever,' that a man can die and rise again. Even having been a believer for most of my life, sometimes it still blows my mind. And maybe it isn't event the fact that He died and rose again, on His own will and power, though being a nurse I know that only God could have made that possible. But maybe, it is the fact of His death; the suffering and agony that He endured, all for us. For us, such filthy, sinful, and undeserving creatures that we have become since Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the garden. Maybe that is what is most awe inspiring to me.

That love. That forgiveness.

'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' John 3:16  A widely known and quite possibly one of the most popular verses in the Bible. He SO loved the world that He created, though it had turned into such an evil place full of sinners like me, He loved the lowest of us, SO much, that He sent His Son to suffer and die on a cross, to forgive us of our sins. Sent His Beloved, to pay for sins that we committed. Not Jesus paying for His own sins, for He was perfect, spotless, sinless. Yet He suffered a torturous death, FOR US.

'For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' Ephesians 2:8-9 No matter what you have done, or not done (sins), in this life, no matter how much money you give to your church, no matter how many children you adopt, how many highways you clean up, how many lives you have impacted for Christ, no. No matter what, you don't deserve the forgiveness God offers, but that is what makes it so overwhelmingly awesome, and thus should make us all the more thankful for receiving it without even having to earn it. So dish it out, even when it seems the offender doesn't 'deserve' it, because neither do we. God commands us to forgive in Matthew 18:21-22, where Peter is asking how many times he should forgive his brother for sinning against him, and Jesus replies, not just 7 times, but 7x70 times. Over and over again we should be forgiving those that sin against us.

 

So take what you have done into consideration in your daily life. If you were to add up all your sins, does the cluster even compare to the wrong that has been done unto you? If Jesus was willing to love you enough to die on a cross for your cluster of sins, does forgiving the wrongdoer seem so hard now? Forgiving is loving. Show Christ's love in every way possible everyday. We are not here to hold grudges, but to love and show Christ to those that don't believe. So forgive others, believers and unbelievers alike, we all need to see and feel Christ's love through the actions and words of Christians around us.

'Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.' Ephesians 4:32

7x70 Times ~ Chris August                       Waterfall ~ Chris Tomlin

Mended ~ Matthew West

Father's Day

Heavenly Father

True fatherhood is grounded in the basis of God's being---in the basis of God the Father relating to the Son and the Spirit. Human fatherhood is but an imperfect symbol of this transcendent reality. The Fatherhood of God is not inconsequential of alterable, for it is the primary basis by which God has determined that believers will relate to Him: 'I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty.' 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
 
God reveals Himself as 'Father' throughout the Old Testament of the Bible. (Jeremiah 3:19). This was also a term Jesus used when addressing Him (John 17)
 


Earthly fathers
Fathers in the Bible were supreme authoritative figures in their families. With just a word, they could determine the fate of their offspring. But they were also encouraged to be patient (Ephesians 6:4), to love unconditionally, to forgive without strings attached, and to give abundantly. (Luke 15:11-32)
 
Fathers have unique access to their children's hearts. Their tender love and intentional leadership can build confidence and instill character like nothing else. On the other hand, harsh words and emotional distance can devastate even the most resilient kiddos.
 
Scriptures present a tender side of fatherhood: 
In Matthew, a temple official came to Jesus frantic for his daughter's healing. (Matthew 9:18-26)
 
In Genesis and 2 Samuel, Jacob and David display deep sorrow at the loss of their sons. (Genesis 37:33-35 2 Samuel 13:35-39)
 
In Genesis and Matthew, Noah and Joseph (Jesus' earthly father) followed God's direction and provided escapes from danger for their children. (Genesis 7:5, Matthew 2:13-23) 
 
But fathers in the Bible weren't perfect; they made their mistakes:  
In 1 Samuel we see where Eli did not set limits for his sons. (1 Samuel 2:12 & 3:13)
 
In 2 Samuel we see that David doesn't make time to spend much with his children, and how he certainly did not live an exemplary life before them. (2 Samuel 12:13,14 & 24:10)

 

Mother's impact on fathers
A mother helps to fashion a good father. She makes him feel loved and accepted, treating him with respect. she shows respect for his position of leadership. She does not undermine his authority, she offers encouragement, reflective interaction, and supportive interest.
 
Reminders for fathers, found in the Bible
1) It is important to make your child(ren) feel wanted (Psalm 127:3-5)
 
2) You are to instruct your child(ren) (Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Proverbs 4:1 & 6:20)
 
3) Train your child(ren) (Psalm 78:5-7, Proverbs 22:6)
 
4) Correct your child(ren) (Proverbs 13:24)
 
The shelter and security provided by a godly father should give their children freedom for growth without overprotection from challenges or tasks that teach responsibility. (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
  
I do believe that the most immediate and potentially impactful way a father can love his child(ren) is by loving their mother well. Children are always watching, listening, and feeling the way their mothers are loved by their fathers. They hear how their father speaks about their mother when she isn't around. They learn how their father respects their mother by observing it directly---even when they don't think their children are watching. They see how their father loves their mother when she is hurting, after they've had an argument, and when they laugh together. They see their father give himself up for their mother, sacrificing their agendas to better serve her more selflessly. (Ephesians 5:25-27)



My father 
If you know me on a personal level, and have for at least a moderate amount of time, then you have probably come into contact with my father at some point in our relationship. He is a humble guy. A guy who sometimes will let you know exactly what he thinks about your wardrobe choices for the day. (Unless it's  me, then it is ALWAYS, he always lets me know how he feels about my wardrobe choices, even if it is to a woman at church who happens to be a good friend of mine with a huge heart, and is also married to a doctor that I work alongside with quite often at work.) In family pictures, you are guaranteed that someone will receive bunny ears from Pops, and if no one will allot him the pleasure, then he will just throw 'em up behind his own head, it's 'tradition,' just ask him!



Sometimes he calls me 20 times in 1 day. Sometimes he wishes I would just 'go back to Ulysses' when he decides he has had enough of my company. He sometimes gets mad, and usually is a total control freak. He wants the pickup moved, just so, and probably secretly wishes that the cows would walk in a certain order while we are moving them from pasture to pasture. But let me tell ya, he loves; he loves unconditionally. After all the heck that I have given him growing up, (and even more so now that I am out of the house), I am glad that we don't even have to say out loud that I am his favorite daughter. (Parents you shouldn't have favorites, so all kidding aside, I do not condone favoritism amongst your offspring.)

Don't worry, I was spanked as much, (if not more than) the rest of my siblings. Well, with disregard to the last two, because I am pretty sure they have only been beat like twice in all of their lives. Younger siblings these days, am I right?
 
Back in December, if you have followed my blog at that time, you read about the moment where for just a second, I thought my earthly father may possibly not be with us any longer. If you didn't, you can read about it in my blog Nothing is Beyond the Reach of God's Hands and read about his hospital stay/updates/progress in reverse chronological order Pop's Hospital Adventures.
 
I am glad to announce he is doing much better. He has taken some necessary to be removed weight off, and is usually following his medication and diet regimen that was ordered by his doctor, but sometimes he does get a bit slacky in that department.
 
I was reading in Ephesians the other day, and it was extremely fitting for fathers:
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Ephesians 5:16-21

The best earthly father is one who has a vibrant fellowship and always strengthening relationship with the heavenly Father and therefor has access to the Lord's unlimited wisdom and vast resources. I love to see how my Pops shows God's love to strangers and family alike. He is such an inspiration and I am beyond blessed to claim him as my father.

To Dads worldwide

No one has the perfect father, therefor no one is the perfect father. You may think you have/had the worst father in the entire planet, but I promise you didn't. And even if he was as awful as you make him sound like, who cares. He is who he is and you cannot change that. But what you can do, is strive daily to be a better husband, better father, and better son of God. You can do you better when Jesus is in your heart. Encourage your children, build them up, teach them about the love of Jesus. Put it in action as you instruct them about it. Discipline your children in love. In case you missed it, mostly your children need love. Love them with all your heart as often as you get the opportunity to do so.

Good Good Father ~ Chris Tomlin             Just the Way I Am ~ Big Daddy Weave

Through My Father's Eyes ~ Holly Starr

A Letter to My Brokenhearted BFF

Subconsciously I find myself ranking my best friends. But there is not just one #1. There are a couple. When you are from completely different times in my life, and bring completely different qualities to the table, how can one compare all of you to the same standard? This goes out to one of you. This is not a random open letter to a random person, but rather a very pointed letter to a specific and special friend, but names won't be mentioned. You know who you are.

Sometimes it is hard to say in person, the way I really feel, even to a best friend. I feel I can be open and completely honest with you, but sometimes we go about life leaving some things unvoiced, just convincing ourselves that the people we love know how we feel because we show them in the way we live and treat them. But I also know that sometimes, especially when distance separates us, we don't say how we really feel and how important others are to us often enough, so I am writing this letter to say it for me.

To My Best Friend,

You are a very important person in my life. You are one of my dearest friends. You know me better than I know myself, I am so sure.  When we are together, the rest of the world dims just a little, and we get lost in the moment. For me, my worries fade, I savor the times we spend together. Surprises are rare with you, because we know each other so well. The element of surprise isn't lost, I am just usually guaranteed that it won't be a 'bad' surprise, only good ones.

A couple weeks ago, I was perusing on social media and a couple things caught my attention, and I immediately sent you a text. We work nights, so I knew you may be sleeping and would respond to a text just as quick as a phone call, but didn't feel this was important enough in the moment to chance waking you with a call. Not because I don't love to hear your sweet voice, but because I know how much I loathe being woke in the middle of my minimal hours of sleep between shifts. My text was quick, and a bit vague, but full of concern, love, and wonder. Most of all, I was trying to make my heart return to it's normal rhythm. I feared that where my brain ran, after piecing together a couple pieces of information, might actually be the truth, and immediately I started praying.

I hope you know this was not the first time I prayed for you. I have prayed for you for years. I prayed for you to find a good man. I prayed for you to find a best friend in that good man, in hopes for a long future together. I prayed for you many of the same things I pray also for myself. A good job, helpful co-workers, healthy self and family, a man for God to join you with.

We aren't always able to spend as much time together as we'd like to, but life has a funny way of throwing miles between the best of friends. If it was a test, we passed, with flying colors. Our friendship is tried and true.

My heart breaks for you. My brain hurts, just trying to think of ways to help, to make it better, to fix things. My arms long to squeeze you in a bear hug for hours. I want to hold you while you cry on my shoulder, I want to wipe your tears. I want, for just a moment, to be able to help you forget about all that is wrong in your life, and just be lost in the bliss of our friendship. When we are together, all of life's problems aren't magically solved, but they sure seem less significant. I want that for you. I want that for you right now. 

When you called me back, I didn't even know what to say. My worst fear for you was coming true in the words you spoke through the phone. I was hundreds of miles away, making it impossible to truly comfort you. My stomach was in knots, my heart was broken, and my tongue was twisted. I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do to make it better. Since I am miles away, it seems all I can do is pray.

I don't mean to minimize prayer, as God commands we do it, and I find it extremely important in my life, and always a comfort for me. It brings me joy to pray for those I love dearly, and even those I may not love as much. I know you appreciate the prayers, and I pray God is comforting you in ways unimaginable at this time, but I still feel like I am doing you an injustice as your best friend in this time of need. I know you would never tell me so, but I hope you know I wish I could be there and do more for you. 

My words seem meaningless the minute they come out of my mouth, and even now as my fingers are flying across the keys. You are in a tough spot, and I don't know what to say that may help soften the edges of the knife life has thrown into you right now.

I know you are strong. You face everything that life throws at you head-on, and I know it seems life has thrown you an unfair amount of hard times in your young 25 years. I know somehow, no matter what you've been faced with, you always come out with your head high on your shoulders and a smile on your pretty little face. You are beautiful. You are fun. You are a smart, wonderful, tenderhearted nurse. You are loved. You are missed. You are sensitive and bright. You are a safe haven for the weary heart. You are a true friend. You are spontaneous and bubbly, yet quiet and reserved. You are the kind of best friend every girl longs to have. You are perfect, yet perfectly imperfect. You are perfect to me.

You are a friend that I consider family. Even though my life without you would be like a box full of abandoned puppies, I know I don't need to talk to you everyday, because that would be like checking in with my siblings every 24 hours, and Lord knows I don't do that. That would only lead to silly arguments. I know it will be hard if not impossible for you to find a crazier person to call friend, and for that fact alone I am grateful that you claim me most days. Thank you for standing by me through the thick and thin in life. Thank you for being a person with whom the silences are never awkward.

I don't know why you choose to maintain this friendship with me, but I love you for it. You and a few crazy souls like you, that for some strange reason keep offering me love and comradeship. You have seen me at my most immature moments, and yet you choose to stick around. You're the real MVPs, just so you know. Thank you for always listening, to the important things, the off-the-wall and nonsensical things, and all the little things I may converse to you about. Thank you for always making time for me. Thank you for showing me that two people don't have to love the same music and movies and shows and interests to be get along. I know I can do the most simple and usually boring tasks with you, and they won't suck. Your friendship is indispensable to me.

Thank you for trusting me enough to come to me in your times of need. Thank you for letting your tears fall on my shoulders, in the comfort of my home. Thank you for trusting me with your fears and doubts, your insecurities. Thank you for being one of the first and truest friends I made in college. The last 7 years of my life would be much different without you playing a part in it. I thank God daily that He allowed us to meet, bond, and blossom together.

Thank you for believing in me when I couldn't find it within me to believe in myself. Thank you for being there to help me pick up the pieces of myself when yet another person had let me down. Thank you for being strong enough to tell me to my face when I needed to check myself. Thank you for being willing to dance like crazy in the middle of the dance floor. Thank you for never pressuring me into doing anything I didn't want to, but for encouraging me to try new things. Thank you for being there for my first break-up, being a safety net for my heart, breaking the fall.

Thank you for encouraging me when I knew I was going to fail microbiology, that class was the devil of all classes. Thank you for being inspiring, for being a motivating factor behind my getting into the library to study more often than I would have on my own terms. Thank you for showing me what a good college student looks like. Thank you for getting me out of the house too, thanks for knowing when enough studying is enough studying, and going out on the town for a good time with me. Thank you for not making the men in your life your only priority, but including your friends in the mix. 

Keeping a friendship alive is a two-way street. It requires tending from both parties, and you do it well, I hope I return at least half the effort that you give. Despite the amazing people I have met along the way in this life journey down here in Armpit of America, KS, you are still one of the most frequent on my mind. Especially now, now that I wonder how you're feeling, I wonder how I missed the signs leading up to this. I wonder how you hid it so well, from someone who thought she knew all things you. Believe me when I say that I don't blame you for my not knowing; I blame myself. For not seeing signs, picking up signals, or sensing your unhappiness. I am sorry that I wasn't as good a friend as I thought I had been.

I do not how what you are going through at this moment will impact the rest of your life, but I can promise I will be here to hold your hand as you go through it. I can promise I will be here, for whatever, whenever you need me. I can promise that this friendship is a priority in my life, and I plan to keep that way until we are both racing around in wheelchairs, yelling loud enough that our hearing aides pick up at least traces of our conversations, and find ourselves frequently laughing our dentures right out of our mouths.

Now it is my turn to encourage you. Dear precious friend, God has you. He is holding you, He has been with you through it all. He sees your broken heart, He knows the strife you have been through. He knows.  Keep your head up, and when you have kept it up as long as you can, come rest it on my shoulder.

I love you for being the wonderful person you are. I love you for not being afraid to just be you! I love you for the joy you bring into my life just by being there. I love you for listening to me list all my troubles, and for sharing yours with me. I love you for trusting me with your secrets. I love you for accepting me, with all my inadequacies. I love you for the fun we always have together, the many laughs, the road trips, the inside jokes. I love you for always feeling comfortable enough to be open with me. 

I love you most of all for being the best friend anyone could ever have. I am so incredibly blessed to call you friend, sweet girl.

Love you SO much,
RachyAnn

https://youtu.be/F77v41jbOYs <--Tell Your Heart to Beat Again-Danny Gokey

Dear Officer

Dear Officer,

I see you.

I need you.

I appreciate you.

I may not know you, but I see your efforts. I see you put my family's safety before your own. I see you seat yourself in a restaurant with your back to the wall in the back of the restaurant, and if that seat isn't available, at least facing the door, constantly scanning your surroundings, suspicious of all and trusting of none, better safe than sorry. I see you being filmed every time you try and do your job. I see you live your life frustrated and misunderstood. I see you ridiculed on social media and in the news for implementing your training. I see your exhaustion. I see you walk up to the car on your next traffic stop hoping it isn't your last. I see you touch the taillight of that car, so that should you get shot, at least your fingerprints are there to lead investigators to the right vehicle/owner.

 

I see you.

I see you leave your family and home for each shift, hoping but not knowing that you will return after your 8, 10, or 12+ -hour shift is over. I see your wife putting your kids to bed each night alone, and encouraging them to go to sleep and that Daddy will be home when they wake up. I see you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, as well as the 40+ pounds of duty belt on your waist. I see you hold back the tears as you hold the lifeless body of a baby that was beat to death by their parents, just after slamming cuffs on them and putting them behind bars. I see you wish there had been signs earlier, or wish the neighbor had heard/suspected sooner. I see you question your faith in God, when over and over again all you see is the negative aspects of society, and you wonder how a God who is supposed to be in control of it all, lets what used to be a 'nation under God' become so crime-ridden and evil.

I see you.

 

I see you become more and more frustrated with parents because they refuse to teach their children right from wrong and then blame you when they are caught breaking the law. I see you wish away parents' choices to make you the bad guy to their young children, with saying such as, 'If you don't finish your supper, the cops are going to come and take you away,' not even giving you a chance to be a hero in that little kid's eyes, but instead, making you the enemy from the time they can talk/walk. I see you not just shoot the gun out of the hand of someone who has aimed it at you, and then be condemned for not just tasing them. I see you do right by you, the law, and your department, but forever be scorned for not doing your job right, because let's face it, everyone on mainstream media knows every law and every part of your training and job requirements you must abide by.

I see you.

 

I see you work your 12+ hour shifts without knowing if you will get a break for supper or for a quick goodnight call to your husband. I see you spend countless hours away from your family, putting in overtime as it is needed, but somehow never reaping the benefits of it on payday, good thing you aren't in this noble profession for the paychecks. I see you respond to crazy calls to solve other people's problems because they have deemed themselves incapable. I see you threatened on a daily basis. I see people hate you, not because of who you are, but again because of 'what' you are. I see you breakdown in the office over a call that you responded to and took care of while holding it all together, but couldn't any longer after you reached the secure area of your desk amongst your thin blue line family that you know you can trust enough to break down in front of, but then find yourself being reprimanded by your superior, and told to man-up by your peers.

 

I see you.

 

I see you wishing you had made it home in time for a warm meal, rather than the lukewarm, already considered leftover meal, you received when you finally made it home for lunch. I see you apologize to your wife for being late, and then filling her in on the details you are able to about the ridiculous call that kept you from coming home when you said you would. I see you patrolling the neighborhood that your home lies within, in hopes of catching a criminal in the act before s/he is able to break into your own home in hopes of attacking your family in response to your arresting them or a family member of theirs.

 

I see you.

I see you get asked if you are even capable of doing your job when the crime isn't solved and the guilty party in jail in the allotted 60 minutes it takes investigators on television to do so. I see you be despised, hated, distrusted, and mostly unwanted by others. I see you become a 'bad cop' because someone 6 states away forgot their oath of honor and the whole world knew about it within a couple days, again, thank you mainstream media, thus affecting the image of every cop ever in the public's eye. I see you itching under that Kevlar, while silently knowing it may be all that stands between life and death, hoping it will be enough to protect you from the bullets of a stranger's gun that may be pulled on you at any minute, day or night. I see you arresting a potentially dangerous, combative suspect, and realize there is no 'nice' way to do so. I see you get accused of police brutality, even though you were just doing what you had to to protect yourself and those around you, whether it be more Officers or civilians.

I see you.

I see you burying your brothers and sisters that died too soon simply because they wore a badge and a vest. I see you hurting. I see you holding it all together, being strong for everyone else. I see your honor and duty to serve and protect the very civilians that mock you to your face, the very civilians pulling out their cameras after calling you to their home to deal with their disobeying and argumentative child, with hopes of catching you slipping up, in order to tear you down more on social media. I see you show up to work every shift, ready to do your job, and excited for a new day.

I see you.

 

I see you spend your holidays in a squad car. I see you miss your child's first steps or first words because you were sleeping after a long night shift. I see you take a bullet for your partner. I see you jump into a lake with questionable creatures, to pull a crash victim from the heap of metal that used to be a car. I see you being blamed and accused for doing what you were sworn to do. I see a few bad men and women amongst a majority of good cops, that the world allows to taint their image of an entire population of. I see you doing the dirty work that we are too afraid to do. I see you keep the bad guys out of our businesses, our cars, our homes, and our faces. I see you be the bodyguard, the hired fists, batons, and guns of our lives. I see you do what I am too unskilled or too civilized to do myself. I see you fear no evil.

 

I see you.

 

I see you make all your date night plans in a city in another county in order to avoid the awkward moments of walking out after being seated and realizing you have arrested half of the staff in the restaurant. I see you telling the man in the hardware store that you work for the city, and leaving it at that to protect your family and yourself from any possible danger had they known your real job title, because that is the world you live in today, one that targets you and your blue line family.

I see you.

I see you make yet another run to a home for a domestic call, hoping that the girlfriend is still alive when you get there, hoping that she will press charges this time, hoping that she won't be the one who bails him out so he can beat her all over again, hoping she will be strong this time, and get out while she still is alive, wondering how long it is going to take for her to learn that this isn't healthy. I see you wondering how long her poor fragile body will sustain the abuse.

 

I see you.

I see you wishing you could adopt all the mistreated children in your district. I see your heart break for them. I see you hurting. I see the weight of each call weighing down on you, until you aren't even sure you can stand anymore. I see you running after a subject through alleys in the dark, with no fear, only adrenaline, hopping fences, just praying that the criminal isn't armed and doesn't hurt you or a fellow officer. I see you fight, not because you hate what is in front of you, but because you love those who stand behind you. I see you stay calm in the most intense of situations. I see you help that old lady cross the street. I see you directing traffic in rain, sleet, snow, ice, and the beating sun. I see you maneuver the freeway in a chase like a boss, always careful to keep the innocent civilians safe, while yet managing to not lose the suspect's vehicle.

 

I see you.

 

I see you and your family of blue gather around a lost brother or sister's family and lend all the help you can. I see you all band together in support of those grieving. I see you never stop looking for the man that shot your brother. I see you working overtime day and night seeking justice for that criminal, and to do right by your fallen comrade. I see you pursuing him/her relentlessly.

 

I see you.

 

I see you reach the solace of your home, and just weep tears of sorrow, knowing that it could have been you, and sorry that it was your comrade. I see you sneak in to your sleeping child's room and gaze upon them and wonder when they got so big, then silently promising yourself that you are going to be around more often, because you have already missed so much. I see you snuggle closer and hold tighter to your spouse in bed, and whisper to them that you love them. I see you make a point to stop and tell them that as often as possible, not just at the end of the phone call dates, not just as you are walking out the door for what has the potential to be the last time every time, but throughout the day, maybe while you are busy washing dishes, or mowing the lawn, just pausing to tell your spouse in the moment, because you know then and there that you have this moment, but quite possibly may not have the next. I see you sacrifice nights away from those you love to protect those you don't even know.
 

I see you.

I see you always on alert, always prepared for anything at all times. I see you back your car up against a building so that you are aware of your surroundings and making it impossible for someone to sneak up behind you as you finish that report an hour after your shift was supposed to end. I see you finally catching a break between calls, and chatting with a fellow officer pulled up alongside each other, parked opposite directions so you can watch each other's 6, because these are your brothers and sisters and will always only be second to your family at home.

I. See. You.
 

When I look at you Officer, first I see:

a Brother.

a Sister.

a Mother.

a Father.

a Son.

a Daughter.

an Aunt.

an Uncle.

a Grandparent.

a Cousin.

a Friend.

a Citizen.

an American.

Then I see:

a Sheep Dog.

a Wolf Hunter.

a Protector.

a Guardian.

a Patriot.

I see a Fighter.

I see a Defender.

I see a Hero.

 

No cape, no powers, just Kevlar and class-B attire, but a superhero nonetheless.

 

I say a prayer everyday for you. I pray for your protection while you are putting your life on the line for mine. I pray for your safe return home to your parents, wife, kids, husband, dog, from each shift. I pray for courage, strength, and might. I pray for discernment on how to handle each call and situation you find yourself in throughout each shift. 

And even when it seems like no one else does, know God and I got your 6. Thank you for your sacrifice, shift after shift, to protect myself and my loved ones. Thank you for defending the thin blue line in our society. Thank you for showing up.
 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9