A true American hero

Along with my church, I just saw my friend Bill off at the airport, on his way to Iraq.  He's one of the bravest men I know.  And I don't just say that because he's off with the Air Force to serve in a war-torn country suffering a grueling war, but I also say it because I've witnessed in him one of the greatest transformations I've seen the Lord do in a person.  I'm not exaggerating.

I'll let him tell his own story.  I'm just here to say that the man I met a couple of years ago is night and day different than the friend I know today, the one who lights up the sky with some amazing fireworks displays, who nearly puts me to shame by his eagerness to jump off of 50-foot cliffs, who has shown a deep spirit of generosity to those who are truckless.

It's not easy to live life boldly and fully when so much of your life has been lived in a way that's anything but.  (This part is as much autobiographical as it is anything else.)  In my mind, courage to change the 'quality' of your life in this way is the kind that's most admirable.  More impressive even than the kind that leads you to answer the call into harm's way, though that kind is impressive, too.

Bill, yesterday I encouraged you to be safe.  Today I retract that comment.  Instead, I encourage you to continue to live as you've been living: boldy, fully and courageously.  (Notice that I didn't add recklessly, in honor of the spirit of those encouraging you to be safe.)  I'm proud to be your friend, and trust you'll keep to what the Lord has begun and is doing in you.  And I trust him to keep you until you're back with us, at which point, just in case someone hasn't already verbalized it, we'll all be expecting the kind of fire in the sky that we've been sorely missing for a year.  And I'll bring the beer.