Courageous

I am a subscriber to various emails from Focus on the Family. I grew up listening to cassette tapes Adventures in Odyssey every night before bed, which are from Focus on the Family. Now as an adult, though I don't listen to my tapes about Whit’s End any more, I truly enjoy reading the materials and advice from the Christian group.

Recently I received an email about their new movie - Courageous. If you have ever seen the movie Fire Proof than you know the type of movie this will be. We really took a lot away from that movie and I know my family is looking forward to this seeing and learning from this new film.

In the email I received about the Courageous film, there was information about a contest surrounding the concept of courageous parents. I looked over the contest website (https://courageous.focusonthefamily.com/#/home) and knew that I needed to enter.

The rules included that you could only enter 200 words or less about the most Courageous parents you know. I didn't read any of the other entries as a guide as to way to write, I just wrote what I had in my heart. Honestly, it ended up to be close to 800 words. So I cut it down, then cut it down again, then cut it down some more...

Below is my entry:

Four years ago my sister married and moved Colorado, where her husband was stationed as an Army Medic. In 2009, my brother-in-law was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was killed carrying another to safety.

After dropping my sister off at the airport following her Christmas break, Mom was home alone, when two uniformed soldiers walk up the front steps. Knowing a precious life was lost and my sister’s was about to shatter was agonizing. It takes courage to know that God is in control.

My dad was on the next flight to Colorado. Once there, he and my sister traveled to Dover to be present when the fallen hero’s remains landed on US soil. As a father, you’re supposed to fix things, but he couldn't fix this for my sister. He couldn't bring back her husband. All he could do was stand by her, hold her hand, pray with her, ask God for His guidance. He had to have the courage to be strong for my sister.

My mom and dad were devastated, but they had the courage to hold my sister up in her weakest hour, no matter how much they were hurting. That is the definition of courage.

Again, this is not all that I feel. I truly believe my parents to be very courageous. They have seen highs and lows in their lives. But through it all, they've never demonstrated anything but a strong Christian attitude to me and my sisters. Are they perfect? Who is? But they are wonderful people.

I am happy to say, my 200 (exactly) word blurb about my parents put me in the finalist for the grand prize (which is to see the premiere of the movie!) Below are pictures of the finalist prize pack I received.

For more information on the movie, visit: http://www.courageousthemovie.com

More to come...