Our Oregon officers arrived on a Thursday evening to Shiloh Ranch with big smiles on their faces and even bigger ambitions to get out in the river and fish! It was fun to witness their eager anticipation and expectancy of catching some cutthroat trout-even if they had to miss lunch. There were some who were game for hiking, biking, and hanging out, but fishing ruled the weekend!
We also discovered that Oregonians love campfires and cornhole. Each night of our retreat, our guests told stories around the campfire while simultaneously competing in several games of cornhole. Inside the lodge, one could hear the comforting sound of laughter drifting through the open windows as it traveled on the cool evening breeze. There was a strong bond of camaraderie and trust in this group that highlighted their interactions and relationships with one another. No doubt that this bond stems from the endless hardships of scrutiny that our LEOs face in this day and age. It was a blessing to serve these servants.
The weekend FLEW by. By Sunday, our Oregonian LEOs were packing up and heading out. Our consistent message, the central building block of every retreat, was based on Proverbs 27:17, a message so timely and necessary in this day and age. In a world so divisive and cold, this truth keeps us on track spiritually.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Any onlooker would observe that this group adheres to this biblical principle in the way they encourage, support, and lift one another up. They are sharpeners! And in these days of lawlessness and backlash against our law enforcement officers, our prayer is that they would put on the full armor of God and sharpen one another in the Word of God.
God bless these officers as they go out into their communities and spread light into a dark world! We were honored to be given the opportunity to serve them and be a place where they could rest, renew, and reconnect with God.
