It was good to be off the graveyard shift and actually watch the sun rise for a change. I wasn’t overly concerned that the day watch was short handed, after all most of the really dangerous calls for service happen at night. As is the nature of the police business though, harms way could be a right or a left turn just ahead and when I heard the tone in my dispatcher’s voice on the radio, I knew that I was about to make that turn.

    She informed me that a very angry man had $500.00 stolen from him by co-workers sometime during the night and he was at their motel room to exact revenge and to retrieve his money. The victim had not wanted any police involvement, but his wife was afraid that something might go wrong so she called for our assistance. Theft, anger, revenge. The ingredients to a stick of human dynamite. Then came the most frightening news of all. I was going into this one solo, as my backup officer had been dispatched to another call of his own.

    “Lord”, I prayed, “You alone know the heart and intent of the man who has been wronged here. Please touch him with your mighty and forgiving hand and keep him from getting violent, and if this other guy did in fact take his money, I ask you now to touch him too and cause him to put that money in my hand that I may give it back to the victim and have a peaceful end to this problem.” I pressed on the accelerator and my cruiser raced toward the motel.

    As I turned my car into the parking lot of the motel, my heart began to race even faster as I saw a 6'5" 300+ pound man pacing back and forth in front of room 142. It was obvious that the fuse in this large stick of dynamite was lit and burning quickly. I'm 5'11" 170 pounds and I didn't like my odds. It was obvious that he would be a force to be reckoned with, and more likely than not, VIOLENTLY. The car and the badge on my chest introduced me as he pointed to the door of 142 and said that the suspect was in that room, that he was going in and that I couldn’t stop him. “If I can get your money back for you, will you let me?” I asked in as calm a voice as I could muster.

    “He took my money out of my lunch box last night, it’s all the money I have for rent and food for my baby. Do you really think you can get it back?”

    “If you’ll stay here by your car, I’ll do my best.”

    Receiving no answer from 142 and armed with enough information from the victim that I could inquire at the desk to verify that 142 was indeed the right room, I left for the front desk. The giant man sat down on the hood of his car, the springs groaning under his massive weight.

    “You want room 241,” the desk clerk said, “upstairs and down the hall.” 241 was directly above 142. My backup officer (an officer who does not walk with our Savior), having cleared his call, now joined me as I walked toward the correct room.

    A lean and muscular young man answered the door. “May I come in and talk with you for a moment?” The young man answered NO with his eyes, but a hesitant “SURE” from his mouth. We stepped inside. “I’ll come directly to the point. There’s a large, angry man downstairs waiting to discuss a matter of $500.00 with you. It scares me what he might be capable of doing and I hope he scares you too. He has reason to believe you took his money and he has every intention of coming in here and finding it for himself. It’s his rent and food money and he has no more. Put the money in my hand right now if you have it and we’ll call this matter closed.”

    His eyes tracked quickly to my gunbelt. My hand moved to the grip of my sidearm as I read the panic in his face. “Lord don’t let him go for a gun,” I prayed silently. He turned away and his hand disappeared inside the top drawer of the desktop next to him. My fingers tightened around the grip of my pistol as he withdrew his hand. The suspect turned toward me, pointing his wallet at my chest.

    “Take the money out and put it in my hand,” it was hard to keep my voice from shaking. He lowered his head in shame and pulled out five new one hundred dollar bills and placed them in the palm of my hand.

“Lord don’t let him go for a gun,” I prayed silently.

    The springs on the car relaxed as the victim stood up. I opened my hand and began to count his money out loud, placing each new bill firmly in the palm of his hand. “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” I asked as he tightened his fist around the last bill, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

    “I was praying that I would get my money back.”

    “Then you have just seen how Jesus answers prayers, in fact he just answered three. I prayed too that you would get your money back. I also asked Him to keep everyone calm and earlier today I asked the Lord to bring me just one person that I could tell about Him today. Guess what?” I asked, “You’re it.”

    We spoke of Jesus’ love for him for a few minutes when I felt the Lord impress upon me one more thing to share with him. “Jesus tells us that we must forgive those that do us wrong and He would have you forgive the man that took your money.” The 6'5" 300+ pound man started to weep openly.

    “That was excellent police work Sarge,” my backup officer said as I turned to walk back to my cruiser.

    “Jim, that was excellent police work only in that Jesus Christ gives us the power and strength to make it excellent. What you just saw my friend is the power of prayer and the grace of Jesus.” Jim got back into his car and drove away. Silent. Wondering. The Lord, I believe, working in his life as well.

    Sharing this story with one of our Police Chaplains a few days later, I learned that the victim and his wife have long practiced a belief that does not recognize our Savior. A member of the Chaplain’s church however has been witnessing to them both for some time. We were both thankful and amazed at how the Lord uses each of us for His purpose, all in different ways and at different times, but for one common goal; to share the good news of salvation that can only come through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

    How important it is that we not miss the opportunities to share our Savior and His message with those that are lost. Be bold and confident knowing that He is with you always and in all things. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that if you trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t rely on your understanding and if you acknowledge Him in all things, that “...He will guide your path.” Remember, there is great rejoicing in Heaven when just one is saved.