They Called the Cops On Us!

So... for a while now, a friend and I have been meeting together to pray over a local mosque. We meet on Fridays around 2:00, as this is the Muslim Holy Day, and when the mosque is most crowded. About 4 weeks ago, we moved to a "strategic" location across the street in the parking lot of the Hewitt Chamber of Commerce, where we had a good view of the entrance to the mosque. We simply sit in our car and pray for folks as they go in and out of the mosque

This past Friday, we were in our car and a cop car pulled into the parking lot, got out of his car and approached us. He informed us that the people working in the chamber of commerce had called concerned about why we were there. I explained to the kind police officer what we were doing and pointed across the street. I said we certainly didn't want to cause any trouble and would be happy to leave if they wanted us to.

So, the kind cop walked into the building and came back out about 15 minutes later, and informed us that they wanted us to leave. We agreed, and he left. Then my friend and I decided that we'd like to meet our cop-calling friends. We entered the building, introduced ourselves to the two women working in the small office and apologized for causing them any alarm. I must admit, I was hopeful they would retract their banishment of us, and although they were very cordial and polite, they didn't offer to allow us to continue praying in their parking lot.

So, we left. I have to say that on the way home, I was mad. I thought about how I am a tax-paying citizen of Hewitt and have a right to peacefully park on city property. But then it hit me.... They called the cops on us... in Hewitt TX. I just had the cops called on me for PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Not in Iraq, but in Hewitt, TX! Praise God!

I know this isn't exactly what Jesus was speaking of when he said: "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." Sure, we weren't scourged or persecuted in the same sense that Jesus was speaking, but we had the cops called on us IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!

Pretty cool... and you can bet that we'll be back praying this Friday (although we'll have to give up our front-entrance view)!