I would like to introduce myself as a longtime pastor of 46 years, and feel honored to come on board as one of The Daily Leader’s columnists.

I have been a full-time pastor for 38 years here in the Magnolia State.

I reside in my birth home of Tylertown and presently assist a fine founding pastor in nearby Dexter.

I came home from Afghanistan in March of 2014 with the troops after a tour of 27 months with them to avert the high suicide rate among their ranks.

Prior to that tour, I was in Iraq for 20 months doing the same.

Recently, a special occasion was held for 26 of the 33 active Mississippi Highway Patrolmen of Troop M in Brookhaven.

The honorable Capt. Chris Williams is over the unit that covers nine counties, one of the broader of the state’s units.

The occasion was a first official devotion held for the officers there at the main office, just ahead of their regular monthly gathering.

I had felt an urging from the Holy Spirit while sitting in the driver’s license waiting area the day before to inquire if they had a chaplain over the unit.

When I was told there were none, I immediately volunteered and was shown to Capt. Williams’ office.

He was acquainted with me from reading the weekly columns I place in other papers and after we met, I told him my feelings and he did not hesitate to place me in that position.

The scheduled monthly meeting for July was to be held the next day and so he asked me to represent them all as a chaplain the following day and here on out.

Perfect timing!

What a grand honor it was to stand before all those wonderful patrolmen in full dress having come in off the road for their meeting.

The only thing I can compare it to was sitting with the generals and colonels at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan at meal time as a civilian chaplain.

Both the soldiers and the police are America’s best.

Those brave officers gave me their undivided attention that Monday as I expressed to them from here on out they would not be riding in those cruisers alone.

I assured them I would be taking their badge number and name before God at “shift change” before daylight and dispatching guardian angels with each of them.

“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Gen. 28; 12 (KJV)

It was a frightful night for Jacob as he fled his brother’s wrath and as he had fell into a fitful sleep God allowed him to see the invisible, the shift change of the heavenly host being sent to aid humanity.

What a relief he must have felt when he awoke and realized he was not alone, not ever.

How lonely must these brave men in blue must feel late at night these days as they patrol with all this nasty stuff being hurled at them.

Not anymore, because I have given them my word and contact numbers to call me 24/7 for support in prayer and conversation.

God did that for me in the embassy and not one soldier suffered harm at my base while I was there a full 27 months.

On that Monday, I closed with prayer stating the same — that no bullet holes be found in those 26 uniforms and those not present.

I feel God has given me this patrol base just like He gave me that one in Afghanistan, therefore Capt. Williams has asked me to represent them daily before the throne of God.

I am not trying to get ahead of these men’s pastors but in as much I have gone into the war zones to do this as a special agent of grace for God I feel compelled to be their roving chaplain here as well.

These brave men in blue risk their lives and well-being daily for all of us and like the former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani proclaimed recently, “They come to save your life. They don’t ask if you are black or white. They just come to save you.”

Amen and amen.

Capt. Williams is a family man and a devote Christian, attending Faith Assembly of God church in McComb.

He puts God first in all he does and all his men respect him because he serves with dignity and honor.

We all here in their jurisdiction are blessed as a result because when they come to save us they don’t make a defining choice, they just come.

I ask you all to hold these honorable men in blue up to God each and every day with me as they patrol our roads and highways to make sure we do as well in safety.

A salute today to the men in blue, especially Troop M in Brookhaven.