Growing up, I had a certain idea of what courage looked like.
Early on, it was my daddy, protecting me from monsters in the closet and under the bed. After I began to read, it morphed into princes slaying dragons and David fighting Goliath. Later still, it was illustrated by people in the news who did brave things.
It wasn’t until our son enlisted in the Marine Corps and went away to war that I began to recognize true courage.
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I realized that true courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s perseverance in the face of fear. It’s being 18 and finishing a task you committed to do—even if it may cost your life. It’s returning to the same place, doing the same thing—even after a buddy lost his life the day before. It’s also the ability to cope with a monotony that you know won’t last—and will end in a hail of bullets and explosion of munitions.
As I watched our son live out his term of enlistment, I found myself overwhelmed again and again by his courage—and the courage of those around him. It wasn’t just the men and women in the military who showed this kind of fortitude. It was also their families—sending loved ones off to war with a brave smile—no matter what fears raged in their hearts.
My son’s time in the military taught us that that true courage has very little to do with mighty acts, only the quiet fulfillment of commitments—no matter the cost.
So next time you see someone in uniform—or a military family—say a prayer of thankfulness and protection. That kind of courage deserves it.
