Chet Handcuffed, then Let Go – Storming the Gates of Hell!

 

It was an interesting day for JoAnn and I during today’s prolife outreach… 

First a “pickpocket” in the crowd at UNLV actually “heisted” and made off with my Verizon smartphone! Yikes! (so you can’t call me tonight or tomorrow either.) Then I spent some time in handcuffs this afternoon when JoAnn and I were at a local high school distributing some great prolife literature with my friends Don Blythe and Bud Reeves from northern CA. 

I had taken a position down the street from the rest of the folks. I found a great location on the public sidewalk where students were in great number. Very soon I was told to move away from the school by a high school official (actually a hall monitor) and when I refused school cops showed up ordering me to stop, which of course, I didn’t and it resulted in the officer being a bit more insistent then necessary. I was waiting for their supervisor to arrive but I continued to disregard the rookie (“Christian”) officer’s order to stop giving the prolife Gospel tracts to the students while remaining on the public sidewalk. Two more school police officers arrived as a back-up and moments later I was in handcuffs. We were all still waiting for the Sgt who hadn’t yet arrived…but JoAnn just did.

JoAnn had successfully handed out over a hundred brochures just down the block. When she approached and saw me in handcuffs. She said to the officers, “Take him to jail!” They asked, “And who are you?” “I’m his wife.” Well, they all laughed and she disarmed them as only she can do so moments later the back up and senior officer removed the cuffs. 

By this time however all the students had departed. The Supervisor was delayed for some time so both JoAnn and I had a great time as we witnessed to the officers. I shared my testimony (and more) but JoAnn asked the officer who’d handcuffed me, if he was a Christian. He said, “Yes” and named the church he attended. She said, I know your pastor and I think I’m going to give him a call. “You wouldn’t…really…would you?” “Yup, I think so”, she replied.

When their SGT finally arrived (about 20 minutes into the event) he told the rookies officer that in fact I was right and I was fine to remain right where I was. I was also welcomed to return tomorrow. So we parted friends and left…for now.

You do make strange friends, in not so typical ways, in prolife ministry. Glory!

Yeshua is King! Let’s serve Him!

 Chet and JoAnn