Remembering Bill, Part 2

Once I had an encounter with Bill that reminds me of a "Looney Tunes" cartoon episode. One of those episodes has a sheepdog and a coyote as the main charaters. They both punch in and out on the job, take lunch a breaks together, but when they are on the job, they are mortal enemies.

At the beginning of the day, they punch in a greet each other:

"Morning Ralph."

Morning, Sam."

After that greeting, the coyote tries to capture the sheep, and the sheepdog tries to stop him. But off the clock, they are friends.

Bill once came up to me before a revival meeting and said, "See that fellow over there? I've been trying to catch him." Apparently, he was one of Bill's "bad guy" smugglers.

Another time, Bill warned me of a neighbor I had. Bill had been attempting to catch him with the goods as well. He told me to let him do the work. I was to "know nothing about it." I did. I stayed clear.

Bill once told a story of a search for smuggled drugs he had to do at a home. He told how everything was clean and extremely neat in that house. He said every one of lady of house's shoes was stacked and organized in their original boxes. "Ma'am, it was a pleasure to search your home," he told her after his search was over.

Lawman Bill told of searching nice homes for contraband with beautiful outsides, and dirt floors. What a stark contrast!

Bill died mysteriously at a camp for law enforcement agents. Before he left, he said he would not return. When asked why, his reply was "Because the little spacemen are going to come and get me.

His funeral was one of my first as a young pastor and attended by many law enforcement officers. I didn't know enough to be scared then. Looking back, I get nervous just thinking about it.

Bill spent his adult life enforcing the laws of the land, even when it was politically incorrect to do so. His life fit the verse: "Do Justice, Love Mercy, and walk humbly with your God."

As a young pastor, his was one of my first funerals. It was a large affair, with a great number of law officers in uniform and wearing black tape over their badges. I was nervous but confident.

I stood with the confidence that Bill was with Jesus, where his law enforcement skills were unneeded. I told the crowd that Bill had loved justice, did mercy, and walked humbly with his God.

Though I knew him a short time, I miss him and am glad he came across my life's path.

Thank God for Bill.