Danger

Dream up the scenario for when it happens for real

(I take part in a writing group called, Five Minute Friday. Each Friday, writers are given a one-word prompt. We are to write on that topic for five minutes and post it unedited. The prompt for today is Danger. )

As a former police officer for a major American city, I am no stranger at witnessing the worst in people, not because I was looking for it, but because they purposely displayed it like peacock feathers. In this type of career, you are consistently on high alert, even out of uniform. While in the academy, one of my firearms instructors told us, once we were on the street, to use our down time to run scenarios through our head. Then think of what our response would be to that scenario because when, not if, those things happen, we will react in the same way we imagined. He was trying to teach us to prepare for all possibilities of what we would encounter on the streets. He was right.

One night, on my way to a call, I ran a domestic violence scenario through my mind, followed by my reaction. Wouldn't you know that call for a 911 hang up turned out to be that exact scenario? It was not a coincidence. There is no such thing. I was meant to be on that call with that scenario. An abused wife and her child found refuge at a safe house that night, where they could sleep in peace.

After 6 years as a patrol officer, I resigned after I became a mother. I handed in my weapon and moved to another state months later, a fresh start. The problem? The scenarios did not stop. Now, I had to protect my baby daughter from danger lurking around every corner. I had eyes in the back of my head. To this day, I do not sit with my back to the door in any public place. My fight or flight (always fight) was at the ready.

On my first day at a new church, I grilled the nursery workers about locked doors and safety windows. Yes, I really did that. My walk with God was not an overnight conversion to these practices. As gracious as He is, He guided me gently, yet sometimes painfully, into a new world where people were nice with no agenda.

My sweet daughter grew into a kind, loving young lady and I could see it was time to loosen my grip, to let her fly. She is in God's hands and while I will always be protective of my family, I can trust the One who is really in control. There will always be danger in this world, but God has shown me it is not my weight to bear.

I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. I will submit to Him all my ways and He will straighten my path. Proverbs 3:5-6