Mountaitop Musings

As we move through the month of May there are many things worth celebrating. If you are being inundated with water right now, you will be celebrating the lowering of the run-off, and assistance from neighbors and friends. Speaking of which, please do not hesitate to call me if I and the folks who make up Community Bible can be of any help to you. Being new to the community I do not know many of you yet, but hope to.

If. Like me, you are a motorcyclist, you celebrate warmer temperatures, and the chance to get some “cycle-therapy” in! Bird watchers celebrate the return of many beautiful avian friends. Fishermen celebrate the opening of rivers and streams to fishing, and the ice melting from the lakes. Just recently the world celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the grave and the hope that is thus offered to each of us. Since Jesus has conquered death and has a genuine free gift of forgiveness and heaven waiting for each of us, that the greatest thing to celebrate!

Children, teenagers, and our young adults are looking forward to celebrating the end of school. That could mean graduation, or advancing to the next grade. Yes this month sees many things worth celebrating, events and activities that make us smile, bring joy to our lives, and contribute to our sense of living a good life. My family has several birthdays, and anniversaries to celebrate. However there is one day coming that is not a celebration but more of a sobering time of reflection honoring sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice. That day is our country’s Memorial Day: A day of honor, a day of remembrance, a day of grief and a day of gratitude.

For me personally it has become a day in which my heart is very conflicted. My oldest son honorably served in Afghanistan, and also in some African countries as a machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps. He had his best friend killed May 6, 2010 by an IED and was asked to speak on behalf of Corporal Richard Penny in a battlefield service. It broke his heart and still does when he recalls those times. My son also survived three IED blasts as he operated the MRAP vehicle he spent much time in. He always walked away from those blasts, and so did those with him. The running joke in his battalion was if you are in an IED blast make sure “Carroll” is with you and you will be ok!

Chuck carries some good memories from the war, and some bad ones. He carries shrapnel in both ankles, and some loss of hearing. He carries with him a sense of pride and honor in protecting Marines and civilians from the Taliban while he was there. Politics aside, Chuck went there to kill bad guys and has said repeatedly his only regret was he did not send more of them to meet their maker. After each day of fighting he would lay his head on his helmet and thank God he survived, and to this day has a clear conscience. He did not violate his personal code of conduct and honor even in some very difficult situations. He applied the rules of honor for treating people that he learned from the Bible and growing up in a Christian home, even on the battle field.

Yes times of celebration are good, but some are sobering. My prayer for you is that you will be finding many things to celebrate this spring, this coming Memorial Day. I know some have suffered great loss during these days of flooding. But even in the most trying of times let us be thankful for our good fortune to be living in the U.S.A.! I am thankful Chuck it home safe. I am thankful that my wife will celebrate 15 years of being cancer-free this August. I am thankful for the men who invested in my life as I grew up without a Father as he died when I was 11. I am thankful for a Mom who taught me and showed me the love of Jesus.

If you want to come to a celebration party, the Community Bible Church of Lincoln is celebrating our 7-Year Anniversary this Sunday, May 20th. The party starts at 11 am at the library, with a potluck meal to follow. Help us honor our Great God for His faithfulness to us all. God Bless You and God Bless the United States of America!

(Dave & Lisa Carroll are area missionaries with InFaith, America’s oldest Christian home mission agency. You can contact Dave at 406.459.8935 or [email protected].)