Light-work

Behind the Badge

After God came through, I told the Police Chief about it and he got excited. Then I told the CBC Elders about it and they decided to cover the airfare for scholarship recipients for the next five years. Then I told the congregation about it, and they got jazzed about providing a banquet that went way beyond your typical banquet. They, in turn, began telling local businesses about it, and additional gifts for police officers began pouring in.

So on Sept 11, we enjoyed an elegant steak dinner together. Officers and guests were seated next to CBC table encouragers whose goal was to make sure than none of them left without knowing they are valued and appreciated. Here is a brief excerpt of my comments that were an attempt to crown what each guest heard at his/her table:

We are grateful for your service, largely unseen, often under-appreciated, but vital to our welfare. Collierville is a great place to live! But, it would not be so if it were not for you. For your dedication, your sacrifice, and your commitment, thank you!

I would like to add a word of recognition to the spouses and family members of officers. We are not blind to the fact that you too, have made profound sacrifices for us. When you hear about two officers from West Memphis who never walked away from a routine traffic stop that went terribly wrong, you cannot help but think of your spouse. And yet, you support them as they each day serve us. We are in awe of you and pledge to pray for you in whatever way you ask. Thank you for what you do.

What an honor to cap off the evening by having each officer stand and to then pray for them (pictured above). It was a thrill to learn that the evening was the buzz of the department. I received several encouraging notes including a hand delivered letter from the police chief the next day. Here's an excerpt that was a joy to read: "Perhaps I can sum up the evening with a quote I heard this morning from several of the officers in attendance last night, 'I have never felt more appreciated and genuinely welcomed than I did at the ceremony,' a common and overwhelming sentiment throughout our department."

We who have such profound reasons to be grateful for God's grace ought to be good at expressing our thankfulness. It was intensely satisfying that we succeeded in communicating heartfelt gratefulness to a group of unsung and dedicated public servants. That was worth doing!

God Comes Through!

I love it when God delivers! Last spring, I was so amazed, I had to write it all down. Here it is:

March 13, 2010
This was so amazing that when I was praying this morning, I was compelled to write it down.
I went to a Front Sight Two Day Defensive Handgun Course in Nevada last November. While there, I was overwhelmed by a realization of the challenges that policemen face. I wondered about showing appreciation to them by providing a way for some to come to Front Sight.

God went before me to set up the appointment, but yesterday I met with Larry Goodwin (Chief), William Hamric (Assistant Chief), and Jeff Abeln (Assistant Chief) to share my story and to ask if they would be interested in some training from Front Sight. I explained a little bit about the camp and my plan for how CBC could help. We would potentially provide a scholarship and airfare. The Collierville Police Department would have to come up with the funds for food, lodging, rental car, and incidentals while there. I explained that I did not want to pursue this unless they saw the value of it. They all indicated an interest in our offer.

I explained that my next two steps would be securing advantageous pricing for these scholarships and then approval of the program by the CBC Elder Board. Once we passed these two checkpoints, we would be ready to plan for a banquet in which four scholarships would be awarded. I left the meeting encouraged by their response but also sobered by the challenge of securing scholarships. The “normal” price for a two day camp is $1,000-1,200. My desire was to do something that is sustainable, so I wanted to secure 20+ such scholarships. But a price tag for the program of over $20,000 (not including the airfare component) seemed more than a little daunting.

I drove home from the meeting with a mixture of excitement, encouragement, and doubt. I stopped at the mailbox and found a post card from Dr. Ignatius Piazza, the founder of Front Sight. He was offering “a deal” that I had to read over and over to assure myself that it was the solution to my challenge. He was offering me anything that I had purchased in the past for half-off the price I paid. Here’s what made this offer so unbelievable. In early 2009, I had purchased certificates for myself and family members for $100 per course. So, if I read this right, he was offering to sell me a scholarship certificate for $50 that would normally cost $1,000 plus.

What is most amazing to me is the timing. God put this card (unlike anything I have ever seen) in my mailbox where I would receive it 30 minutes after meeting with the Collierville police chiefs. It answered PERFECTLY to what I wanted to do and overcame (what seemed to me to be) the greatest obstacle to the success of this outreach ministry. I had the funds for 20 certificates in our “God account” and Rock agreed, “Let’s do it!”

So, I immediately followed the instructions about how to secure 20 certificates by mail and made sure my letter and check went to the post office this morning. I am having trouble believing this has happened, so I am anxious to see the actual certificates. Won’t the police chiefs be shocked! I suspect they looked at me like I was dreaming but probably would never follow through. God came through!

Sionara Moriah!

What was it like for Abraham and Isaac on the return journey from Moriah? In a previous post, I speculated about the inbound leg to Mount Moriah and the associated faith test that Abraham passed with flying colors (see Genesis 22). So what mixture of relief and high fives propelled the journey back to Beersheba?

The biblical text is somewhat terse: So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba (Gen. 22:19). Alas, there are no details. But the return destination is named - Abraham established himself at Beersheba. It was here that Abraham had taken his faith to a new level before the whole Moriah challenge. Genesis 21 recalls, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God (Gen. 21:33). Abraham's choice of a tent site after Moriah affirmed that calling on the name of the Lord was a good idea in the first place.

And well it should be! After passing the Moriah Test, God made His intentions clear. Genesis 22:15-18 recounts, Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” What a promise! God vowed to profoundly bless Abraham because he had declared, "God matters more to me than even the life of my son."

I am grateful that God is allowing me and my son to return from Moriah. Although Austin had a large mass in his chest, and has been (and will continue) receiving treatment, his latest scan came back "completely normal." From over four inches across to nothing in two months seem miraculous to me. The Doctor has declared this a "textbook case" of how treatment should work. I consider it a textbook case of how the goodness of God works. We are grateful for treatment, but overwhelmed by God's goodness.

I have sought to emulate Abraham and hope that the God who reads hearts has seen in mine echoes of Abraham's faith. Should God find in what He sees a reason to bless me, I cannot say. But I am grateful that we are walking away from Moriah and that I am already so profoundly blessed. High fives all around!