My comments on scriptures follows:

Dalton, continued:

    When I first started with the City each officer was evaluated monthly.  We had a form that listed common activities to Police work such as number of traffic stops, citations, warnings and written warnings issued, number of arrests, misdemeanors and felonies.  Number of miles traveled during the month, open doors found, investigations conducted and other items of interest to the Chief.  We kept track of our activity on the days we worked on this form.  This information was turned into the shift sergeant who compiled it, typed it onto the form and added his own comments about the Officer’s work.  This was less an evaluation and more of a time sheet.  However, the sergeants could call attention to improvement needed in whatever area they deemed necessary and they could point out activity that was done well.  The back page had a few standard items to check off at the top and then about four fifths of the page was left for the sergeant’s comments. 

As a new officer I filled one out, Sarge commented, but I was really evaluated by the PFC, Jack, as to how I was doing as a probationary officer.  I went to day shift a couple of weeks before I went to the academy.  When I returned from the academy they put me back on Graveyard with Sarge.  I remember the first evaluation I received from him.  His comments were, “Work satisfactory, no complaints.” 

Jack told me that Sarge was a man of few words on those evaluations.  If you did your job it was “Work satisfactory, no complaints.”  If he felt the officer needed to do something different, ie working too much traffic and not enough alleys the officer’s evaluation read “Work Satisfactory.”  If the officer did something extra special, solve burglaries, made a difficult arrest, etc. the praise was “Work very satisfactory, no complaints.”  Jack said, somehow those evaluations meant more to him than the long detailed comments by other sergeants.  I came to understand and appreciate Sarge’s ways.

Over the next few months some of the veteran officers mentioned that Eggleston was really opening up.  We had a number of new officers go through the shift.  All of us were in our early twenties.  He talked to us all, encouraging and actually joking with us.

One night, just before Sarge retired, there were three of us working; Mike, Sarge and I.  Both Mike and I were still on probation although we had gone through the academy.   It had been a quiet night.  About 4:30 am, or so, we received a call of a hit and run.  It was in Mike’s patrol area so he handled the call.  He gave us the description of the suspect vehicle and then continued with his report.  Sarge came out of the office and helped.  We looked for the car, but didn’t find it.  It was found in a garage the next day.  Sarge drove by the accident scene and looked at the victim’s car from his patrol unit.  I heard him say, over the radio, “It looks to me like it was a truck and might be green in color (this was surmised from the paint transfer and the damage of the victim’s vehicle.)  What do you think?”

Now unless a person knew Sarge, that transmission was just standard radio traffic between two officers.  But, neither Mike nor I could believe what we heard.  As Mike relayed the story to the day shift sergeant the next day, (who had never heard of Sarge being that personable) he was asked, “What did YOU say?”  Mike said, “I told him it looked that way to me too.”  Everyone just shook their heads, it was truly amazing.

To be concluded:

Ephesians 3:5-6  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

⁶ That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Philippians 1:9-10 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

The Jewish people knew they were the Chosen People of God, He told them.  As a people those that obeyed God stayed true to Him and did not marry outside the faith.  Even those that were on the fringe understood the importance of marrying another Jew.

They knew what happened when they strayed into other cultures, how their loyalty to their spouse overcame their loyalty to God.  They ended up worshiping idols and living a life of sinful behavior.

Those that stayed true to God had a good understanding of what was expected of them.  They knew their history – although many didn’t take the lessons to heart.  But then, as now, the need to study God’s Word and seek His direction was an important part of their obligations as Jews.

The Jews are still the Chosen People.  But Jesus opened up the opportunity of eternal life with Him to all people who believe in Him.  When we accept Christ as our Savior we are part of the family of Abraham, adopted through Christ; we are partakers of the salvation promised the Jewish people and we are now the Sons of God.

Having accepted that promise, it is important for us to learn all we can to help us grow in His promises.  To learn more about who God is, what His nature is, and how we can serve Him better.

As any servant serving his master, the more we understand of what the master wants, the more efficient we are in our service.

To do that we must listen to those that know the Word.  We must study the Word for ourselves.  We must spend time in prayer with God.  We must spend time with Him.  As we study and learn of Him we grow closer to Him, we grow in our love for Him, and in doing so in our love for others.  We are servants of the eternal God.

I was watching a program the other day.  Some of the actors were portraying people that are quite wealthy; others police officers and still others the servants to the rich family.

The members of the family were condescending to both the officers and their servants.  They were demanding and arrogant.  They were the important ones and the others were just ‘servants’ that matter only in what they can do for the family.

As I watched the show I couldn’t help but contrast that family with Jesus.  He came from heaven and all the perfection that is there, to earth where it isn’t even close to being perfect.

He came as a child to an ordinary, blue collar family.  He lived as they lived, without special privileges.  He preached love and consideration for others.  He preached to be the leader, in His organization, you had to serve others and demonstrated it many times over – up to and including washing His disciples feet.

We serve a God that doesn’t ‘Lord’ it over us.  He knows who He is and doesn’t need to put His servants down in order to make Him feel better.  He is an benevolent God to those that serve Him, less so to those who deny Him.

Most of us have had bosses that we would do anything for; they were great people and treated their subordinates with respect.  They would bend over backward to help us and to make us comfortable in our employment.  We worked under them; we knew what kind of a person he was and we had tremendous respect and admiration for them and whatever they asked we did with alacrity.

As we study His Word and work with His Holy Spirit we learn more about Him.  We learn of His Love and Grace to us.  We learn that He wants the best for us.  As we grow closer we develop that same respect, admiration and desire to serve as we had with that boss we respected.  Then, as we continue in His service, our love grows even deeper than we could ever have imagined and not serving Him with all we have is no longer an option.

That is my desire, so that everything I do is for Him.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again