BLOG: There is Hope!
Last week, I watched a powerful video on Police One involving Chicago Police Officer Carlos Yanez, jr. In the video shared across Facebook, Officer Yanez, Jr. provides a candid and emotional message about suicide. This video was inspired by the recent number of suicides in Chicago, stemming from various issues that have plagued that department in recent years.
Officer Yanez is blind in his right eye after being shot four times during a traffic stop and talks openly about the struggles in the wake of that event. In his message, he talks about going through counseling as he dealt with suicidal thoughts following the shooting. While describing a group class he attended, he spoke of the two lies preceding ‘suicide’ that people will tell themselves. The first lie is the statement ‘that God has abandoned you,’ and the second is believing that ‘your family is better off without you.’ These are both lies!
The first statement resonated with me this week because I believe it has the power to reach beyond just the law enforcement community.
“The first lie is the statement ‘that God has abandoned you,’ and the second is believing that ‘your family is better off without you.’ These are both lies! ”
God HAS NOT abandoned you, or me, or us!
I find the disconnect interesting between what we say we believe and how quickly that faith dissipates in the face of uncertainty. We state we believe that God can perform miracles or that he will come through as he has promised. However, when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds against us, we immediately accept doubt and unbelief. I was listening to a different commentator, I believe it may have been the Steve Deace Show, and he was commenting how different we would act and live right now in these times if we believed just a portion of what we say we believe about God.
Uncertainty is ruling everything right now! No matter how many parties are thrown to tell you how great things are, you know the struggles you and your family are facing. You know the financial hardships you face whenever you go to a grocery store, pay an electric bill, or rent.
Depending on where in the country you work, if you are in law enforcement, you may face a public that doesn’t like you simply because of your vocation. Maybe you are meeting increased demands, and stressors from an agency that you feel don’t understand you or doesn’t even seem to care about you, the individual, at all. Maybe you think your administration doesn’t have your best interests in mind, and you are in a position where you feel trapped and unable to leave. Perhaps it isn’t any of these issues, and you are facing another life challenge or event that leaves you wondering what the future holds.
WHATEVER your situation, faith, or failures, I want to remind you that God has not abandoned you! God still cares, listens, and is still in control.
When I teach on the subject of Spiritual Wellness at a local law enforcement academy, I talk about the Signs of Burnout and how they often present. Three common signs of burnout that are present in the area of Spiritual Wellness are Spiritual Disconnection (this is the feeling of “God has abandoned me”), Spiritual Strain (this is the feeling that “God is so far from me”), and Spiritual Doubt (this is the “I can’t believe in God if this terrible thing could happen.”)
“The Good News is that you do not have to stay there; that is where HOPE comes in, where resilience- your capacity to recover quickly or spring back, comes in. ”
You are not alone in these thoughts and feelings; regardless of our belief system, we all have had these feelings at one time or another. Primarily if you work in law enforcement, no matter how strong your faith is, you find yourself questioning if God is still in control or why he would allow such terrible things to happen.
These feelings can indicate burnout or “a state of deactivation” where you “retreat from yourself and your higher power after prolonged stress.” Burnout is prevalent among law enforcement officers, as we know.
The Good News is that you do not have to stay there; that is where HOPE comes in, where resilience- your capacity to recover quickly or spring back, comes in.
This week, I want to give you Hope!
I assure you that you are not alone in these thoughts and feelings. However, when faced with these doubts and uncertainties, we all must remember our foundational beliefs and the times when we knew God was there for us. As one who has faced the same concerns and doubts, I can assure you that you are loved, you are cared for, and God has not abandoned you or me.
I don’t know who needed this message, but I felt I was supposed to share it. Have a blessed week!
This Blog Post Appeared first at OnTheBlueLine.com. All Rights Reserved. September 2022
If you would like to say “Thank You” for the content Wayne is creating click here to buy him a coffee.
Wayne Mulder is a law enforcement officer, speaker, writer and the host of the On The Blue Line podcast. Wayne is an advocate for law enforcement officer total health programs and a believer in empowering law enforcement officers in their personal lives. For more on his mission visit OnTheBlueLine.com.