Loss, saddness, and a harsh reality......

This weekend was hard, it was full of loss and the reality of the world we live in.

It was a time when I realized just how blessed our family is every time Bryan walks in the door from work. Yesterday afternoon the Oakland Police Department lost 4 officers in a senseless shooting in the heart of East Oakland. It was a somber time for all the law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area, for the many officers that were on scene, and the men and women that knew and worked with the officers that lost their lives. These men had dedicated their lives to protecting and serving a city of Oakland and the people in it. These men had families who will never get to experience the joy of them walking in the door after a long day of work.

It is a reality that everyone in law enforcement has to face and accept. Not a fun reality but a very real one. I was reminded last night that I need to thank God every morning when Bryan walks in the door.......even if he is late, or in a bad mood. I need to be thankful.

I think what a lot of people who do not know someone in law enforcement don't realize is really how hard this job is. They go to work everyday knowing that 90% of the people that they are going to have to deal with will NOT be nice to them, will yell & curse at them, try to harm them or make threats at them. Yet every one of these men and women are 100% committed to their jobs and love every minute of it. Kind of backwards!

So I urge you tonight to pray for the families of the four officers killed yesterday and for the whole department. Also if you have family in law enforcement, let them know how thankful you are for the job they do day in and day out. It is not everyday that cops get a 'thank you'.

Here is a link to the what happened in Oakland if you had not seen it:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Two-Officers-Shot-in-Oakland.html