I was deep in thought and didn't like the idea of being disturbed, plus I hadn't been in the best of moods the last couple of days. Even though I was walking America for Christ, I didn't greet Officer Benson with any of the joy of Jesus in my heart. We went through the normal routine..."Name...Birth date..License...wait for a moment while I run this."
As the officer did his job, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. "You're not being very nice." "I know," I mumbled back. I was beginning to mentally beat myself up when I heard from the Holy Spirit again. "I'm not condemning you, Nick. I'm just reminding you that you are better than you're acting. A little smile or pleasant conversation wouldn't
hurt."
I noticed that police car said commercial law enforcement. I said, "I have a question for you". He leaned against his vehicle, smiled and said "I have a couple of questions for you too."
Well, it turns out there are only about 45 commercial law enforcement units in the state. They check on the weight of the trucks and in general, make sure the truckers are doing what they are suppose to be doing. As Steve and I talked....yes, police officers do have first names...I found out he was a born again believer, teaches Sunday School, is currently doing a series on the differences between Christianity and Islam and has a heart for people who do not know the Lord. He also has a group called Friends 4 Life that is open to all denominations and prays for needs as they arise. I enjoyed listening to his passion for the Lord and I began to genuinely like him.
As we parted company, the Holy Spirit reminded me of how close I came to missing out on meeting this wonderful man of God. Steve and I are friends on Facebook now and I have the feeling we're going to be friends for a long time. He has about five years or so before he retires from the force but I wouldn't be surprised if we found ourselves in the mission field together.
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