There’s a dim light coming from under the bathroom door and
the sound of a running shower. I roll over,
check the clock—3:47 am. It’s
Saturday. Yes! I think to myself. I might get a few extra minutes of shut eye
before the kids wake me up. I doze back
off, waking up to a sweet kiss on the cheek and an “I love you” from my LEO
(law enforcement officer). The door clicks and locks. I look at the
clock—4:01 am—and drift back off to sleep.
I’m awake! The
Superman theme song ringing loud from my phone—it’s my LEO. It’s still dark. What time is it?! I answer—feeling groggy and unsure of what is
happening.
“Hello?” I say, glancing at the clock—4:32 am.
“There’s an active shooter", he says. “An officer was shot. I am on my way there now. I will call you when I know something.”
Did I misunderstand?
I’m so confused. “An officer was
shot?”
“Yes, I will call you when I know something.”
And silence…as the empty, nauseous feeling enters my
stomach. Worry sets in. The unknowns, the what-if’s, the waiting for
a call back. I know the drill. I’ve been here before. But I can’t predict how
it will end. And the awful thoughts of
vigils… and funerals… and processions…quickly fill my memory.
I’m now wide awake, the clock staring back at me—4:46 am. I send off a quick text: “Please be
careful. I love you.”
My mind wanders. Should
I get up? Make coffee? Watch the news? No.
That won’t help. I decide to pray…for my LEO, his fellow officers, for our police family. I pray for their safety. But most of all I pray they are all alive at
the end of this stand-off.
And then I wait…
6:57 am—I finally get a text, “It’s over”.
Oh thank you, Lord!
My heart is racing. I take a deep
breath. I feel so relieved. I pray again, thanking God for taking care of
them and asking for His presence as the officer undergoes surgery.
Then, I slowly drift back off to sleep.
