FBINAA Associate Magazine Q2.2021

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN

F B I N A A . O R G | A P R I L / J U N E 2 0 2 1

Jeff Kruithoff

A Final Note on living the Five “S’s”

I t is with varied and different emotions and feelings that I write my last discussion article as the Chaplain for the FBI National Academy Associates. The final article will be the 2021 Memory Roll that will be read at the FBINAA National Training Conference in Orlando this July. I appreciate the members who have emailed me commenting on past articles. It was nice to hear how you enjoyed them and it has been tremendously helpful in assisting me with conveying a meaningful message in every article. The last four years have in some sense gone very quickly; however, when I look at the policing world today versus the policing world when I became Chaplain, it is hard to believe that only four years and not four decades have transpired. As I write this article, most law enforcement professionals are predicting a difficult and dangerous 2021 summer of continued protests, and outright attacks on police officers merely doing their job. By the time you read this article you will know if they predicted cor- rectly. The thought of more police officers being injured or killed at this difficult time of our history is just heartbreaking. The theme of my Chaplain articles have been living a life of Five “S’s”. These five areas of focus have been instrumental in my personal spiritual growth. My pastor, Charlie McMahan , from Southbrook Church in Miamisburg Ohio, developed them. I have noticed on this journey that almost every spiritual lesson can be fit under one of these five areas. If the hectic pace of work becomes stifling, I take time in solitude. If I need some understanding, I usually get it from several daily scripture readings each day. If I am feeling with- out purpose, I volunteer in a service capacity to help others. If I am having a bad day, I look for support and try to always be available to support others I see struggling. And finally, I look for significant events both positive and negative knowing they are placed in my life to bring me closer to God in my spiritual life. Please take a moment to review each of the five “S’s”. SOLITUDE BEING DELIBERATE EACH AND EVERY DAY BY TAKING TIME TO MEET GOD IN A PLACE OF SOLITUDE SCRIPTURE BEING DELIBERATE EACH AND EVERY DAY BY TAKING TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD SERVICE BEING DELIBERATE SERVING OTHERS JUST AS JESUS SERVED OTHERS SUPPORT BEING DELIBERATE IN SUPPORTING OTHERS EXPERIENCING TROUBLE, AND BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT HANGING WITH PEOPLE THAT WILL SUPPORT YOU.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS BEING DELIBERATE IN IDENTIFYING THE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF YOUR LIFE AND SQUEEZING EVERY LESSON OUT OF THEM TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE ARC OF YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE I know at a very personal level how difficult it is to be a police officer in 2021. With over 48 years in this profession, I find some days where it is difficult to find the energy to be a positive example to the officers in my department. I know all of you are in leadership positions and have the same challenge. However, we must find a way to encourage those younger officers to not give up and to not leave the profession. Stephen Parker, a detective with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department recently planted a permanent thought with me at a Law Enforcement retreat in Texas. “If good people stop being police officers, bad people will become police officers”. We have an obligation to ensure that the young people in our agen- cies are armed with the skills, mindset and ability to withstand this current assault on law enforcement. They can and should come out the other side of this struggle ready to serve their community with the same energy and enthusiasm they had on day one. It is the least we can do to ensure good people are the police officers of the future. I have been honored to be the FBINAA Chaplain for these last four years. I pray that our profession, and our Association, will be blessed in the years to come. I truly believe that the best days of our Country, and our profession are ahead of us.

Jeff Kruithoff FBINAA Chaplain jkruithoff@fbinaa.org 937-545-0227

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