"A Little Too Close To Home"

It is at the encouragement of my dear husband that I am even writing this blog.  I guess that it is only appropriate that I, as "an officer's wife" write my first blog about something that impacted me in that role today.  This morning began like any other...get up, brush teeth, wash face, put on make-up, get dressed, fix hair, eat breakfast, out the door.  I was driving my normal route to work, enjoying a relatively traffic-free commute.  I had just started moving over into the right-hand lane to exit onto Beltway 8 when I looked over and saw Grace Community Church.  Normally the parking lot is devoid of cars at this time of the morning but not today.  Now, I am not one to watch the news (much to my "news-junkie" family's chagrin).  I gave it up when Rusty entered the academy.  I simply did not want to be reminded of all of the "danger" that my husband (and younger sister) would be facing while protecting and serving.  I can honestly say that I am the better for it.  Rusty informs me of the major events that happen and I save myself a lot of needless worry over things that I cannot control.  All that to say, I did not know what was to take place at the church today but all I had to do was look at the multiple rows of Pasadena police vehicles to know that the funeral for the officer who was slain last week was soon to take place.  The sight was almost more than I could bear.  God has always given me a divine sense of peace regarding the perils of Rusty's job but there are occasions, such as this morning when the danger becomes all too real for me.  I began to cry, not just a couple of tears but uncontrolled sobs as I thought about his poor widow and their two precious daughters who had just lost the most important person in their lives.  In a rare instance, I thought about how easily I could be in his wife's shoes never being able to feel the warmth of her husband's embrace or hear him whisper, "I love you."  I quickly dismissed those thoughts as they are too painful to bear, and I said a prayer asking God to guide them through this day and all of the difficult ones to come.   I regained my composure so that my new faculty members would not think that I had completely lost my mind and went through the motions of the remainder of my day.

I am very proud of Rusty and the role that he plays in keeping the community of Houston safe for its residents.  I know that he is a gifted officer and a true asset to the force.  I also know that I would be lost if anything ever happened to him.  Today only made that fact all the more clear.  I love him and have to trust God to watch over him when he leaves our home every evening.  I think that it would be appropriate to close with the prayer that Austin and I say for him on the nights that we pray together..."Lord, please watch over Daddy as he goes to work.  Keep him safe and bring him home to us in the morning.  Amen."