TALES FROM
THE DONUT SHOP BY JULES A. STAATS,
AUTHOR
Call it a disclaimer: As you
have read some of the miraculous stories in this book do not for a moment,
think that the Author, (which is me), is claiming to be anything special. Far from it! I have made massive mistakes in
every one of these incidents of some kind or another. Things just came out OK after all. I have no idea why these saving Graces came
to me.
Epilogue
Congratulations
that you completed reading this book. My
apologies for the wording of some sentences as I tried to relate these absolutely
true experiences
This book points
out direct contacts by God to persons.
This cannot be ignored; I felt the pain when I was pushed by invisible
hands. I saw and was told of bullets
that failed to fire at police officers.
I was placed at the exact time and place where I could save lives. Please note I am not the only one who had
experienced these miracles.
You will be hard pressed to find
books like this one. How come? Even so-called “faith” publishers have felt
that this book was pure fiction and would not print this work. Maybe they really do not have faith.
There are countless times in
police work, where the time-worn theory of “it was just a coincidence” does not
correlate with the real world of the Profession of Law Enforcement. I have always held the opinion, that the real
world out there is not a set of coincidences and that we exist only by a giant
assembly of trillions of complex chances.
This collection of stories—based
in truth and fact with only names changed--affirmed that serendipity is
absolutely not the book’s subject, but there is a very much more likely axiom
that there is another Entity, our Creator who actually calls the shots and, Who
makes a Plan come together, or even Protects some of us from tragedy. Being
in the wrong place at the exactly right time is a statement that says it
all. This was the core connection of
most of the stories.
In police work,
many officers swap "war stories" about how circumstances worked out
so well, and how lady luck and coincidence helped a bad incident come to a
favorable conclusion. Cops, as a rule,
are a very secular bunch, and tend to pull themselves up by their own
bootstraps. A favorite term, "macho" has become an axiom or standard
of the Police Officer. Using the
coincidence theory tends to show others, that the officer, agent or deputy was
fully in control of himself and his circumstances. He would tell everyone that the alternatives
presented themselves and subsequently were expertly used to the best advantage
by the lawman. In short, there are
substantially few stories where God's involvement is acknowledged, as being in
control of the elements of the incident.
Finding a supervisor approved and published police report where God is
recognized in any way is probably impossible.
This may be ironic,
as these "war stories" related to striking—even impossible situations, where a gun in perfect condition
and pointed at an officer somehow failed to fire six times with new ammunition,
sparing the officers’ lives. Another
story was about completely worn-out patrol car brakes that did not fade, or
lose effectiveness during a critically ill child’s transport to an emergency
hospital. Remember that the deputy was
only a block away and was not even assigned to this patrol area. Still another tale reveals where a single maneuver
of the patrol car during a pursuit subsequently prevented a disastrous
crash. Can we call these Silent
Suggestions? An exploding gas tank fire
that would have incinerated men, women and children alive, causing terrible
burn injuries or even death that was averted by a chance drive down the exact
street at the exact time as the car fire just started.
I have even heard
that some law enforcement officers are positive they have a sixth sense, and
have been able to feel that trouble is behind a door. I have also seen good men turn into PTSD
basket cases, who thought they had such so-called extra sensory perception and
were in complete control of their lives.
The question is, in a crisis situation, is this E.S.P. or training and
coincidence, or just good judgment? Or
perhaps, do some people in Law Enforcement get assistance from their
Maker--when they dearly need it?
Let's get to the
core of this subject: If you would read
a statement in a police report: "The armed robbery suspect attempted to shoot
the State Trooper, but due to (luck/coincidence) the gun misfired. Try stating another way: "The armed robbery suspect attempted to
shoot the State Trooper, but God caused the gun to misfire six times. You will never see that statement in a police
report; nevertheless it would be absolutely true.
In our present,
highly liberal and secular times, there is a strong persuasion to shy away from
the concept of any Superior Being. It is
felt that an enlightened, modern person only needs his own resources to succeed
at any task. Unfortunately, I have seen
many cops become psychologically unstable and unfit to continue their careers
with this mindset. These persons were
the very ones who thought they could do everything in the world on their
own. Police work, done without the
assistance of God is like viewing the fabled Medusa. The end result can be a form of madness. If you do not believe that statement, just
ask any cop's ex-wife!
Predominantly,
people would rather use the theory of coincidence, rather than their Creator to
rationalize unusual circumstances. We usually see this in an unusual and
dangerous situation which worked out O.K.
Albeit, we all are inclined to be that way at times, but there is always
the inner-gut feeling, that God is really out there, somewhere. A little Bible reading would turn the gut
feeling into true faith. It seems that
the many dangerous incidents that a police officer encounters during a
career--if he survives--should prove without a doubt that there is a Supreme
Being who propitiates the event. It is
analogous to a fork in the road, a turning point in the time-history continuum
and God has the map. There can be the
necessary guidance and protection, but most people feel it has to be asked
for. In several of these tales, the
asking came years later. That works out
ok for Him, who is the Alpha and the Omega.
Since I hid this
epilogue in the back of the book, it is presumed that you read these
stories. Now, you can judge for
yourself, if all these incidents were sheer happenstance or if there was an
actual Guiding Force.
Note the
concept—actually a demonstrated fact of
being in the wrong place at the right time, again and again so that innocent
lives can be saved and/or injuries prevented.
Remember when I was
pushed out of the way of a speeding truck. Also; how does a person that is
pronounced brain dead by an emergency room doctor regain his mind fully without
ever having an epilepsy
condition,
seizures mobility or vision problems?
Many of the persons
mentioned in these tales have gone to rest. However the gallant efforts of
these fine Police Officers are recorded forever with our Creator and will not
ever be forgotten. This is about Grandpa
when he was a cop.
Therefore, should
you re-read these stories, when Grandpa was a cop, remember, that the incidents
are not fiction, but this book is relating to real people, living or now passed
away, who experienced real incidents. In
some of these tales, there are very strange things that remain, for the most
part, extraordinary and incredible--if not miraculous.
Jules “Jay” A. Staats
Deputy Sheriff Retired
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department