As a part of our tribute to Police men and women everywhere we present this timeless video of Paul Harvey.
Mario Murillo Ministries dedicates this Christmas blog to the brave men and women in law enforcement. Many of you will be unable to be with your family on Christmas because you will be on duty protecting our families. You work long hours and receive very little thanks for the amazingly important job that you do. For that and a million other reasons we want to thank you and tell you that we will stand with you this Christmas and all year long.
We also pray for the families of those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. No words that any man can say will truly be able to comfort you. Only God can do that. We pray that the great comforter, the Holy Spirit will bring you special peace in your soul. Again, God bless you all.
I am so grateful for the hundreds of thousands of God’s people who regularly read this blog. Take a moment and write a comment or a prayer for our heroes, our finest and their families. People from all over the world will be able to see your comments and prayers. God bless you and Merry Christmas.
In a related Story: A national surge of support for the police.
After NYC Deaths, a Surge of Support for Police
At a time when many in the nation’s police community feel embattled, Americans in cities and towns across the country are making an effort to express support and gratitude.
“I’m showing a little solidarity for my brothers in the NYPD and all of those who protect and serve us every day,” Bon Jovi told a cheering crowd at his concert Monday in Red Bank, New Jersey.
The surge of support is linked to two distinct but overlapping developments.
The immediate catalyst was the killings of two New York City police officers as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday. For many of those making appreciative gestures, there also was a desire to counter the widespread protests ? steeped with criticism of police ? that followed grand jury decisions not to charge white officers for their roles in the deaths of black men Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York.
Becky Grizovic, of Walton, Kentucky, helps orchestrate a campaign called Cookies for a Cop that provides treats to officers in more than 200 departments in 23 states. She was joined by her husband, son and a neighbor in delivering cookies to Cincinnati police stations on Monday.
At the District 2 station house, Capt. Jeffrey Butler said the gesture was especially appreciated in light of the deaths of the two officers in New York.
“The reason that this started is that I’ve just been so disheartened by the news,” Grizovic said in a phone interview. “I wanted to do something positive to lift their spirits because this is so hard on all of them.”
Rallies and vigils in support of police have taken place recently in several locations, including Nashville, Tennessee; West Orange, New Jersey; Annapolis, Maryland, and New York City’s Riverdale neighborhood.
Among those gathering Monday night in Nashville was Merri Puckett, a retired police officer.
“The police are really taking a hard hit right now,” she told The Tennessean newspaper. “Ninety-nine percent of the officers out there are doing a good job, and it’s a thankless job and they need to know that the public supports them.”
In Minden, Nevada, there was a one-man rally in support of local officers.
John Munk, a retired sheriff’s deputy, stood in front of the post office with a sign reading, “God Bless Law Enforcement.”
“It’s disheartening how people are treating law enforcement across the country,” Munk told the Record-Courier of nearby Gardnerville. “I wanted to do this to show what a great community we have here.”
Another former officer, Rick Goforth, was the chef and organizer for Monday night’s dinner in Mooresville, North Carolina, for which he served up 30 quarts of chili.
“I told the chief … loosen your gun belt, man,” Goforth joked with a reporter from Charlotte’s WCNC-TV.
The police chief, Carl Robbins, said it’s been a difficult time for officers, particularly after the two deaths in New York.
In New York’s bustling Times Square, several officers reported that people on the street were shouting out words of encouragement ? a sound they weren’t hearing before the weekend killings.
“It’s uplifting,” said one officer, who ? under NYPD rules ? was not supposed to do media interviews while on street duty.