|
Who is Your Hero?
By Lonnie D. Nance
Southern Missouri District, Outpost #20
Nixa Assembly of God
If May 10, 2000, was to me, a federal law officer,
like any other day at work. However, one thing was different. It
was a Wednesday afternoon and I was going to arrive home from work
on time to eat dinner with my family. While I was driving home,
I was thinking about the compass course I would teach to the Trailblazers
that evening in Royal Rangers. I was thinking about how God directs
our paths.
As I arrived home, I walked through the garage
and into the kitchen. My wife, Janet, met me in the kitchen and
gave me a kiss. She then stated that I had made it home just in
time to eat dinner with the family. I made a comment that it was
going to be different eating with the family, instead of reheating
my meal in the microwave and eating alone. My wife then stated,
"I just finished putting dinner on the table." I set my
lunch bag down on the counter and decided that I would wait to take
my weapon, handcuffs, and gear off until after we had eaten. My
oldest son had helped my wife prepare a simple meal for dinner.
The meal consisted of Polish sausage cooked on the grill, macaroni
and cheese, green beans, chips, and lemonade or tea. We started
to fill our plates and my wife suggested that we pray first over
our meal.
As we were praying, a neighbor began knocking
on our front door. She advised me that there was a man down the
street with a gun, pointing it at a female. She stated that it appeared
to be a domestic dispute. My first thought was not to get involved,
because I don't handle domestic disputes in my line of work. Before
I could say anything to my neighbor there was a loud pop that sounded
like a car backfiring. My neighbor then yelled, "He just shot
her!" I jumped up from the table and ran out the door in the
direction that my neighbor was pointing. I could see two men in
the street who appeared to be fighting. This was about a block from
my home. As I arrived in the area, a young man pulled his truck
to a stop and got out to assist in apprehending the shooter. He
took the shotgun away from the shooter and placed it in the street.
At this point I was assisting the neighbor who had first attempted
to apprehend the suspect. We were holding the gunman down on the
street. The younger man then asked what else he could do. I advised
him that I was a law enforcement officer and told him to help hold
the suspect down. The young man was more than willing to do so.
I started looking around for the victim in the
shooting.
A few minutes earlier as I had arrived at the
scene, I observed several individuals and children running from
the area. I also observed what appeared to be a white dog lying
in the grass. What I had seen, however, was not a dog; it was the
lady who had been shot. I rushed over to her and found that she
had suffered a shotgun wound to the upper left shoulder and chest.
Knowing that I needed to return to the gunman
who was still struggling to get free, I looked around for someone
to assist the victim. When I turned to look for help, I observed
a shotgun lying beside the victim. The first thought that ran through
my head was if the victim also had a shotgun. I then looked toward
the street and observed that the shotgun had been moved. Later I
learned that the young man, who had originally taken the shotgun
from the gunman, had moved it in case the gunman would have gotten
free.
I noted that my 14-year-old son John was nearby.
I had no idea that John had followed me into the area. Knowing that
John had been trained in CPR and first aid in Royal Rangers, I ordered
John to apply pressure to the wound and to do what he had been trained
to do (John received this valuable training at the Southern Missouri
District Advancement Academy). John did just that without having
to be shown what to do. He applied pressure on the wound and kept
reassuring the lady that everything was going to be fine. He also
watched for signs of shock. He continued to do this even after the
ambulance arrived and until the lady was loaded into the ambulance.
While John was administering first aid, he looked at me and stated,
"Dad, we're going to be late for Rangers, and Commander Duane
needs my help." I thought to myself, even in the time of trouble,
he is thinking about Royal Rangers. Later, in talking with John,
he stated that during this time, he was standing on Philippians
4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
(NKJV).
While John was administering first aid, I returned
to the gunman and placed handcuffs on him. I also attempted to keep
the crime scene area secure. As the first county sheriff's deputy
arrived, he was glad to see that the area was secured, and that
the gunman was in custody.
After the crime scene had been taken over by the
Sheriff's Department, I had time to think about all that had just
happened. This was when the father in me took over. I realized that
my son had just put his life in danger by going into an area where
there was an armed gunman. However, by being in the area, he was
able to administer first aid to an individual who needed it. I was
mad at him, but yet I was glad for him also. I had mixed feelings.
Then I remembered that God's Word says in Hebrews 13:5, "Let
your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things
as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor
forsake you'" (NKJV).
I knew that God had His hand in the whole ordeal.
At St. John's Hospital the trauma surgeon told
the shooting victim, that a pellet had nicked one of her arteries
and that without John's pressure to the area, she would have died.
After she got out of the hospital she told John, "You saved
my life. I will always be grateful for your courage, training, and
ability to face a difficult and scary situation with calmness and
levelheadedness. You are and will always be my hero. Whether you
like it or not you are stuck with me for life."
During the Sunday night service I began to reflect
on what the lady had said to John. Especially the part about, you
are and will always be my hero. Also, the part about, whether you
like it or not, you are stuck with me for life. I thought about
John 3:16 and 17: "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (NIV).
Does this or shouldn't this make God our hero? Why is it then that
we don't take the time to say, whether you like it or not, I am
stuck with Christ for life? I stand on Galatians 2:20: "I have
been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives
in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (NIV). Who is your
hero?
Through this whole ordeal, John and I have learned
that the Royal Ranger Motto is more than just words. We are to be
"Ready for Anything" that God would have us do.
|
