While praying about what to include in this latest installment of the Chaplain’s Corner, I felt God leading me to address a very serious matter that has devastating consequences for police officers and our families. In looking around on the internet, I came across some information that eventually lead me to a speech that was given by Dan Goldfarb to a group of union delegates on the impact of stress on their men. To read the text of Mr. Goldfarb’s speech, you may visit Mr. Goldfarb’s speech

Our jobs are surrounded by stress. We are stressed by bosses, fellow officers, work schedules, the calls we handle, the media, accusations of abuse, weather elements, traffic, reports, and often times the lack of justice carried out in court. Then we turn to our personal lives that each one of us wrestles with varying degrees of stress. So many of us portray our image of “keeping it together” so nobody thinks we got problems while we’re dealing with other people and their problems. But as Mr. Goldfarb has addressed in his speech, WE ARE NEEDING HELP!!!!!! Where do you turn for that help, if you’re willing to admit you need some? Alcohol, drugs (yes, this is a reality), gambling, or extra-marital affairs sound familiar?

Being your Chaplain, I obviously will speak against any of those as being the answer for help. Yet, those seem to be the more popular methods to escape from the reality that is our life. What are the results from those methods? High divorce rates, high suicide rates, department discipline against you, and a feeling of being dissatisfied overall. Families are torn apart; we have financial issues to deal with, and the harmful effects on our bodies from all of his weighing us down also come with the job. Those things don’t work! What can I offer to you that will work? I’m glad you asked…

God, Jesus, my Pastor, the Bible, or even just praying, have not always been my first thoughts when I have gone through my moments of stress. I try to deal with it myself, like anybody does. But after I really understood who Jesus is, and what he did for me and you, things changed for me. In the bible, I have read many passages in which God promises to take care of me no matter what the situation may be. My faith has replaced those worldly methods of dealing with stress or life’s struggles. “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13b