Behind the Badge – Other Duties as Assigned

Ever hear the words, “Other duties as assigned”? In police work, this happens more often than not. Cops respond to 911 calls for service that don’t have anything to do with law enforcement. “Other duties” might be as mundane as returning a lost wallet to an owner or as heart stopping as delivering a baby! It might not be what we signed up for, but a call to 911 can certainly lead to a temporary “calling” as a marriage counselor, a doctor or a pastor. There will always be “other duties as assigned” moments along a journey of faith. You might even be tempted to say, “I didn’t sign up for this!” But living your faith in ways that are beyond belief is what we are called to do. Jesus said time and again, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

During the month of November 2004, my in-laws suffered the loss of three family members in separate incidents: a wife, a brother-in-law and a nephew. The family plot was in New Hampshire and because it was the dead of winter, the ground was frozen and no burial was possible. The family had to wait until spring to hold a memorial service. A few months into the new year, my brother-in-law called to ask if I would be willing to officiate the service. I said yes.

So how would I lead a memorial service? This would be my first. I asked a few pastors and learned that there was a Pastor’s Bible that had outlines and suggested scriptures for every possible service or event. I also learned that every denomination had traditions, practices and procedures that were very different for putting people to rest. This was going to be more challenging than I thought. It was when I called my good friend, Pastor Tom, that I got the answer I needed. Tom said, “A memorial service has three parts: Remember those who died, comfort the living and preach Christ resurrected.” I could do that!

In April 2005, we gathered at the family plot in New Hampshire. I led a group of 20 or so in singing Amazing Grace and followed the advice of Pastor Tom. I shared how Jesus died on the cross for our sin and the hope we have in his resurrection. It went great. The service ended and the immediate family stayed for the internment. The grave yard attendant came over and uncovered a hole four feet by three feet. I could see there were three small concrete crypts into which he would place each urn. The mood was sad as each one was lowered into place. As the attendant reached across the hole to place the last urn, he lost his balance, dropped my nephew and fell in!

The group went dead silent (pun intended). The poor guy was trying to hold himself up and get out by pushing up on one of the crypts. This was not going to work as his thighs were resting on the edge of the hole and his feet were sticking up in the air at a forty-five degree angle. The only way out for him would be to crawl in the hole, get on his feet and climb out. Now being the only public safety professional in the group I did what my duty called me to. I had a camera in my pocket and everything inside me said, “Take a picture, take a picture, take a picture!” What to do? Help the guy or snap the photo?

The truth of the matter is that my compassion for graveyard guy outweighed my desire to capture a really funny moment with a camera. I grabbed the guy by his ankles and was able to give him the leverage he needed to push himself out of the hole. I asked if he wanted me to place the last urn and he said yes. So there I was, Mike the Graveyard Attendant. Other Duties as Assigned.

So I managed to remember those who passed, comforted the living, preached Christ resurrected and helped a guy out of a grave. I think God gave me the opportunity to offer a visual representation to go along with my resurrection message.