A few days ago I asked the Police at the 10th district if they’d send a patrol car by St. Ann School at recess and school dismissal. I asked for this favor because there’s a little trouble brewing in the neighborhood, and as the temperature rises I think there might be more trouble. By trouble, I mean shooting. Sadly, our neighborhood is one of those in Chicago that experiences a lot of violence. Anyway, the story.
I stopped by the patrol car and spoke to the officer in the car. He was wearing a white shirt, and that told me he’d been around a while. Some kind of a supervisor, I guessed. He looked to be about 35 or so. We made small talk for a bit, and I asked him to tell me a story. “Well father, I do have a story.” “What happened?” “I was working in this neighborhood as a young officer, years ago, on the night shift. I’d just gotten married and had a baby girl at home. One night, one of these kids came up to me and put a pistol in my face, and he pulled the trigger. The gun clicked. It was a misfire. I shot his gun out of his hand with my gun, and I didn’t kill him. I can show you the pictures from the crime scene. The gun has a bullet mark from my gunshot.” “Holy Shxx,” I said. “That was a tough day.” “No kidding father. And the guy got released about a year later. I’m ok with that, though.” “Oh my God,” I answered. I didn’t know what else to say. “My kids are in Catholic school up on the North side. My little girl, my 3rd grader, worries about me going to work. Someday when she’s big enough I’m going to tell her this story. I’ll tell her that if she ever, ever starts doubting her faith, or doubting that God will take care of her, she should remember the story. If it weren’t for God’s providence, she wouldn’t have ever met her father. I’ll tell her she should never worry about anything.” I had to pause for a minute to catch my breath. “Wow, that’s a story.”
“Father, I’m in exactly the right place. It’s an honor and a privilege to be here watching over these little ones. I’ll do it every day, as best as I can, for as long as I can do it.”
There are some people who run toward danger every day. We should keep them in our prayers.
