Exactly Where God Wants Him to Be and Doing Exactly What He Is Supposed to Be Doing

Sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other times you are in the right place at the right time. And then there are the times when you are in the exact place that God intended you to be so he can show you his love first-hand.?

Jeff Degrow remembers the morning of January 21st, 2010 as a cold and miserable day with steady rain. About a year before he had given his life to Christ and started praying everyday for the Lord to use him to help lost souls.?

As fate would have it, Degrow, a Charleston County Sheriff's Deputy, received a call about a burglary that had just happened on Grimball Road on James Island. His cruiser was literally right around the corner. The area had recently experienced a rash of burglaries. Jeff was the first on the scene and he began to investigate when he saw three young men start to run away and he began to chase one of them on foot. He came upon a trailer and when he gave a quick peek around the corner he felt like his head had been hit by a baseball bat. His ear was also ringing very, very loudly. He didn’t realize it but he had just been shot in the right eye.

He added, “in that moment, I fell to my side, everything went white ... and I could feel the presence of God. I was overcome by an overwhelming calm and love that still, to this day, I cannot fully describe.” So while the gunman stood over him and fired six shots at his head from point blank range, Jeff was calm and knew that somehow he would survive; it was not his time.??

A few seconds later the gunman ran off and Jeff pulled his duty weapon and scanned the area before finding the strength to get up and call for assistance.? A few minutes later he met EMS on the road so it would be easier for them to find him.? As EMS began treating his wounds and transporting him to MUSC, he forced himself to stay conscious.

When he arrived at MUSC he was rushed into the Emergency Room where they operated on his eye for four hours. Following the surgery, the Emergency Room Doctor told his wife Lisa, “There is no medical reason why Jeff is alive.”? The first bullet had hit his eye and came within a centimeter of going into his brain and hitting a major artery which would have killed him instantly.? Instead the bullet went out of the eye, into his jaw, and then his ear canal before lodging in his scalp. Other bullets hit his right forearm, his wrist, his shoulder, and two bullets grazed his head. The only explanation that Jeff has on how he survived that night is that Jesus was his shield and protector from the bullets aimed from point blank range at his head.?

Jeff had literally escaped death and despite suffering six gunshot wounds including three to the head, he was released from the hospital and went home just two days after the shooting.??

On the day of the shooting, 500 officers came to the scene and participated in the manhunt for the three fugitives who were quickly arrested. The shooter, Brandon Simmons, was later convicted of two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill. He later would be sentenced to 25 years in prison. Soon thereafter, the laws of South Carolina were changed to provide stiffer penalties for attempted murder of Law Enforcement. Jeff is grateful for the overwhelming support that he has received from law enforcement and the Lowcountry community in general.?

The doctors were unable to save the vision in his right eye.? He had to learn how to cope with monocular vision which greatly affects his depth perception.? Prior to his injuries he had also been right eye dominant so he had to learn to cope with a lying eye. As a result of his injuries, he was medically retired from the Sheriff's Department a few months after the shooting.

When God closes one door he opens another and after experiencing the shield and protection of Christ while he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, Jeff felt called to the ministry. He studied ministry at Liberty University and earned a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. He became a pastor, he ministers to people in hospice, and is a chaplain for First Responders as part of the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy.?

As he was battling post-traumatic stress, Jeff needed something to occupy his time and he turned to golf as an outlet.? A few months after the shooting he started going to the range at Wescott Golf Club during the week and played golf on the weekends. He started taking lessons from Perry Green and with Perry’s help his golf game improved quite a bit but the primary benefit was that golf became therapy for him as all his cares and concerns melted away for a few hours while at the golf course. For the past 12 years golf has been an excellent way for Jeff to enjoy fellowship with other law enforcement officers and to "escape" his cares and concerns.?

About a year ago, the Lowcountry Chapter of Stand Up and Play Foundation started the groundbreaking HERO Golf Therapy Program. HERO is an acronym for Helping Emergency Responders Overcome and the program is designed to help Emergency Responders who are battling injuries, illnesses, or challenges whether their injuries occurred in the line of duty or after their service to the community.? The family members of Emergency Responders are also encouraged to attend.?

Jeff and his wife Lisa, a former 9-11 Dispatcher, joined the program a few months later and Jeff volunteered to be the Chaplain for the HERO Golf Therapy Program ministering to emergency responders, their families, and individuals from the community overcoming injuries, illnesses, or challenges.?

Jeff is one of the many miracles in our midst. It certainly seems that he is exactly where God wants him to be and he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing.?