Do Not Just Strive For Excellence

I stepped out to the Intake yard to get some fresh air and get rid of the burning sensation irritating my throat and my lungs. The deputies just used the pepper spray to cease the fist fights that occurred in one of the sobering cells which contained 5 drunk bodies.

The big fan didn’t help to dissipate the choking smell. It had spread more. As I warned newly-arrived Highway Patrol troopers bringing in another drunk arrestee. That man hit himself with the handcuffs on his wrists, acting strangely as blood alcohol level was drawn by the nurse in a separate room, meant for that purpose. There was no injury but he etched a mild abrasion on his mid-forehead. As he was overcome with the stinging pepper spray smell, he started coughing. He became combative to our Intake deputies. He was dragged to another cell, as his screaming voice echoed in all the corners of the prison’s Intake.

“Nurse!” hollered the Intake deputy. “We need you to check that guy acting out! He’s bleeding!”

“Bleeding? What did he do?” I queried.

“I’m not sure,” answered the deputy.

I brought my equipment to check his vital signs, only to be surprised with the sight of scattered pools of blood on the floor. The inmate’s left face was covered with dripping bright red blood. Getting saline and gauzes to clean him up, I didn’t even notice that I accidentally stepped on one of the red puddles and the sole of my shoe was covered with that man’s blood.

I cleaned his face well. There was no open laceration. No swelling. The abrasion he caused to himself earlier became visible. I knew something happened but I couldn’t prove what was done to make him cooperate.

The man became sober after 2 hours. He never complained of any pain. When I rechecked his mouth when he was more cooperative, there was no active bleeding. All of his teeth were intact.

I knew there were 5 deputies in that cell when I got there. I wasn’t accusing any of them that someone or most of them did this injury to this man. Because it was also possible that the man did this to himself since he already hit himself with the handcuffs earlier. It would be hard to prove something when there was no clear evidence.

Those deputies might have done their best to pacify a combative man. But even if they did an excellent job of doing so, I wondered if someone or some truly followed the protocols given them in handling such things?



Not all of us are called to be missionaries.We may not be a missionary, true, but we are all called to be His ambassadors. We are asked to be obedient to what He wants us to do for His Holy Name.

When we start with the work Christ started in each of us, there is a fine line between doing an excellent work and being obedient. We must be careful that when we are opting for excellence, we are not doing the work for our own benefits. We are to glorify Christ in everything that we say or do. The truth about Him and in Him should not be suppressed just to protect our work or life-style. If we claim we are God’s people, let’s reflect the way God is like in everything. Let us not strive for excellence but aim for obedience instead. And that’s what truly honors Him. To me, that is excellence!

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” - John 14:15

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” - Luke 6:46