Bright Spot: Character is carved from trials, tests
Memorial Day reminds us of sacrifices made for life and liberty.
Most soldiers awarded the highest military honor, the Congressional Medal Of Honor, receive it after losing their lives for our liberty. I’m sure they would rather have it pinned by the president in the way it was done for Cpl. Dakota Meyer.
Meyer courageously went again and again into a firefight with heavily armed Taliban troops in September 2009 in the remote Afghan village of Ganjigal.
The corporal heard a handful of U.S. soldiers had been abandoned by their chain of command. They had called for backup and were now pinned down. The higher-ups feared too many civilian casualties and therefore decided not to provide cover for those trapped by the Taliban. Repeatedly, the call went out, but only Meyer and a few others he’d recruited responded.
Time and again, Meyer forged into enemy fire, leaving his Humvee, trashed by Taliban bullets, to load wounded Afghan and American soldiers into the crippled vehicle. He also was wounded in his shooting arm, but as a certified sniper and hunter from the hills of Kentucky, he had learned to shoot with both hands.
It took Meyer four trips and nearly as many vehicles to get most of his remaining countrymen out of that valley. Many never got out.
Reprimands were issued for retreats and reneging on commitments to provide backup. Others were given awards for valor. But Meyer’s bravery rose far above the rest.
Heroes aren’t made instantly in the heat of battle. Character and courage is shaped over time. It only takes three months to grow a squash, but 30 years to grow an oak tree.
When Meyer was 4, he showed perseverance and pluck by starting the family tractor by jumping on the crank. He wanted to drive and help around the farm. He told his grandmother he would guard her against robbers when he was 5. In high school, he learned teamwork and tenacity on the football field and compassion in the classroom as he tutored autistic students.
Jesus also was molded and refined by the things He suffered (Hebrews 2:10). Like Meyer, Jesus was willing to lay down His life so that we could be saved (John 3:16). Also like Meyer, Jesus won’t leave you alone: “I will be with you until the end of the world … I will never leave you or forsake you … If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in …” (Matthew 28:19-20; Hebrews 13:5; Revelation 3:20)
What small choices today are shaping your character for tomorrow’s crisis?
Rick Sams is pastor emeritus of Alliance Friends Church.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Bright Spot: Character is carved from trials, tests
