Chaplain (Col) Ray Fairman

It seems so rare to ever find out the impact God has on lives when we allow Him to work through us. Especially when, like I do , we allow him to dispatch us through the "known world". Many folks think that there is only a foreign mission field. I am learning and having reinforced daily that the good old USA has many folks that are in need of just plain Christian Compassion as well.

The following was received from an officer I met at the National Crime Prevention Conference in Washington DC recently.

 I was packing up my exhibit and took time to unpack and find Tim a CLEF pin which I gave to him as we sat and shared testimonies and talked for about an hour or so about how the Holy Spirit was using us in law enforcement and how difficult it can be to live up to the expectations of many of those folks we serve and with whom we serve. We talked about some of the disappointments and difficulties we were experiencing in our loves or careers and tried to encourage each other.

I want you to notice how the smallest things in life like just listening and talking with someone you meet during your "busy" day can have an unexpected impact on their lives and therefore on your own.

I often wonder if I am really doing what the Holy Spirit wants me to do and I used to spend (or waste) time worrying about it. When I finally realized that all I needed to do was be available to be a part of a solution and not the entire answer, I was able to more easily recognize the many "windows of opportunity" that I had been passing by each day while looking for and asking God to open for me some "doors of opportunity". I finally heard Him say "are you SWAT or not". So don't be slow like me on the up-take. When a window of opportunity opens, make a SWAT entry and when you do the Holy Spirit will use you to make an impact in some way I am positive.

Here are Tim's Comments: