Hang On or Let Go?
One late night when I was on the bicycle patrol team, I was riding with a partner in the area of the Mariner’s Mile (Coast Hwy. between Dover and Newport Blvd). We were in a dark part of the restaurant district at about Tustin and the Highway when we noticed a group of three men seated in a car parked on the north curb line. We silently rode up to them and were able to look inside the car without their knowledge of our existence. We saw nothing unusual at first, but we made contact and spoke with the occupants of the vehicle. Due to the late hour, the closed businesses in the vicinity, and frankly, the “creepy factor,” our conversation with them gave us, we asked them if they would step out of the car so that we could talk further. All of the subjects were wearing loose bulky clothing. The law allows us to perform a quick patdown search in that situation for officer safety reasons. As I put my open palm on the front right waste band of one of the subjects, I immediately felt a flat hard object. From my training and experience I knew exactly what it was. The thin metal handle of a semi-automatic pistol had a very distinct feel. So did the knot in my throat as I realized what we were dealing with.
I had one of two choices to make at that moment. Do I push him away, draw my gun and hope that he couldn’t get to his weapon before I got to mine, or do I keep hold of the gun with all my might until I could pull it from his pants and then draw my weapon? In that instance I decided to keep hold of the gun and thought to myself, “Well at least if we fight for it I will have no doubt that lethal force would be acceptable.” It turned out to be the best option. I was able to remove the gun, shout to my partner, and we successfully took all three men down at gunpoint. After the arrest we found an additional gun and duct tape in the vehicle. It turned out that they were in the car, planning a takeover robbery of one of the restaurants across the street when we happened upon them.
Sometimes, it is hard in this life to know what to do. Do we hang on to things or let them go? Does God want us to persevere and keep trying, or change course and let loose of our current situation? Either one could be in His perfect will. So here is the answer…….I don’t know.
I have heard Pastor Greg Laurie say that when he is confronted with a choice he will pray for wisdom, read God’s word, and do all he can to obtain a clear direction on which way he should go. He admits that sometimes a clear answer does not come, so he does his best and makes a choice. When that choice didn’t work out he would say to himself, “Well I guess the other option was God’s will.”
I wish I could tell you that knowing God’s will for your life is an exact science. We would all like it if we knew that doing A, B, and C, is what we needed to do every time to get God’s clear direction. But sometimes we need to seek Him, lean not on our own understanding, and take an action in order for God to reveal to us His perfect will for our lives.
Thought for the Day
Hold on or let go? Acknowledge Him, read His word, then make a move. He will direct your path.
Devotional from “Badge to Badge” by Brad Green
